The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has imposed a fine of N5 million on Trust Television Network (Trust TV) over the broadcast of the documentary titled “Nigeria’s Banditry: The Inside Story”.
The media firm disclosed this in a statement, saying that it was informed about the fine through a letter signed by the NBC Director General, Balarabe Shehu Illela.
Illela said the fine was imposed on Trust TV because its documentary which was aired on March 5, 2022 of the said documentary contravened sections of the National Broadcasting Code.
“While we are currently studying the Commission’s action and weighing our options, we wish to state unequivocally that as a television station, we believe we were acting in the public interest by shedding light on the thorny issue of banditry and how it is affecting millions of citizens of our country.
“The documentary traces the root of the communal tensions and systemic inadequacies which led to the armed conflict that is setting the stage for another grand humanitarian crisis in Nigeria. It presents insights into the intersection of injustice, ethnicity and bad governance as drivers of the conflict. It also aggregates voices of experts and key actors towards finding solutions, including those of the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and Senator Saidu Mohammed Dansadau, who hails from one the worst-hit communities in Zamfara State.
“Other experts featured in the documentary include scholars like Professor Abubakar Saddique of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and Dr. Murtala Ahmed Rufai of the Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto, who have both studied the subject of banditry for a long period, Trust TV stated.
Recall that the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, last week Thursday noted that the Federal Government (FG) would sanction Trust TV and BBC for “terrorism glorification” in their documentaries.
Alhaji Mohammed said the FG is aware of the “unprofessional” documentary by the BBC, Africa Eye, where interviews were granted to bandit warlords and terror gangs, thereby promoting “terror” in the country.
He condemned the BBC for not “upholding the same standards and tenets” as they would have done in the UK.
The minister noted that the BBC is a foreign medium and not under NBC regulations, still. Vowed sanctions would be meted out to the medium.
The FG’s threat has however received condemnation from some quarters.
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