The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a suit alongside 261 concerned Nigerians, civil society and media groups.
Oyogist.com learnt that the defendants includes Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed and the acting Director-General of the NBC, Prof. Armstrong Idachaba.
SERAP urged the court to declare that the N3 million fine imposed by NBC on each of Channels TV, Africa Independent Television (AIT) and Arise TV over their coverage of the #EndSARS protests was “arbitrary, illegal and unconstitutional”.
They also asked for an order to stop the NBC from enforcing the fine.
They further claimed that the information minister had been making consistent efforts to gag the press from performing their watchdog role by using broadcasting codes.
“The NBC, being a regulatory body, is not empowered by law to act as the prosecutor and the judge; all at the same time. We humbly urge the court to set aside the unlawful and unconstitutional fines imposed on independent media houses, and to uphold the sanctity of the Nigerian Constitution, Nigerians’ human rights, media freedom, and the rule of law,” SERAP said.
