The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to instruct the National Broadcasting Commission to withdraw its recent controversial order to media houses, restricting them from covering secession and agitation activities and views.
The NBC, on Friday, had ordered television and radio stations to advise Nigerians they bring as guests and analysts not to talk on divisive or secessionist views during their programmes.
The NBC had also warned them to desist from revealing “details” of the victims of bandits, terrorists and kidnappers in their reports.
This was made known in a statement titled, “Newspaper Reviews And Current Affairs Programmes: A Need For Caution,” which was signed by the Director, Broadcast Monitoring, Francisca Aiyetan, on behalf of the new Director-General of the Commission, Balarabe Ilelah.
Reacting, SERAP warned that a failure on the part of the government to call the NBC to order would attract a lawsuit instituted against the body.
On Its Twitter handle on Friday, SERAP said, “We urge President Buhari to instruct the NBC to immediately withdraw its illegal order to TV and radio stations not to divulge “details” of the activities of terrorists and kidnappers in their reports.
“We’ll sue if this sweeping gag order is not immediately withdrawn.”
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