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Mailafia: NBC to punish any broadcast station violating its code, fines Nigeria Info 99.3FM N5million


The National Broadcasting Commission has landed strong on the Nigeria Info 99.3FM, Lagos regarding the live broadcast of  Dr. Mailafia Obadiah’s comments on the “Southern Kaduna Crisis on "Morning Cross Fire" program where he claimed a Northern Governor is a Leader of the Boko Haram Terrorists.


The Lagos Zonal Director of the Commision, Chibuike Ogwumike, while declaring concern for national peace pointed out that  Dr. Mailafia Obadiah’s comments on the “Southern Kaduna Crisis”, were devoid of facts and by broadcasting same to the public, Nigeria Info 99.3FM, is in violation of the following sections of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code:

“3.1.1. No broadcast shall encourage or incite to crime, lead to public disorder or hate, be repugnant to public feelings or contain offensive reference to any person or organization, alive or dead or generally be disrespectful to human dignity;

“3.1.2. Broadcasting shall promote human dignity, therefore, hate speech is prohibited;

3.3.1 (a). The broadcaster shall ensure that any information given in a programme, in whatever form, is accurate;

“3.3.3.1(b). The Broadcaster shall ensure that all sides to any issue of public
interest are equitably presented for fairness and balance;

“3.11.1(a). The broadcaster shall ensure that language or scene likely to encourage or incite to crime, or lead to disorder, is not broadcast;

“3.11.1(b). No programme contains anything which amounts to subversion of constituted authority or compromises the unity or corporate existence of Nigeria as a sovereign state;

“5.4.1(f). The Broadcaster shall not transmit divisive materials that may threaten or compromise the indivisibility and indissolubility of Nigeria as a sovereign state.

The Zonal Director furthered that  it would commence punishment for any broadcast station that violates any of its code starting with the unprofessional conduct of Nigeria Info 99.3FM, Lagos, in the handling of the Programme,aired on August 10, 2020, and would not hesitate to serve such pronouncement on any defaulting station.

“Consequent on these provisions and in line with the amendment of the 6th edition of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, Nigeria Info 99.3FM Lagos, has been fined the sum of N5,000,000.00 (Five Million Naira), only.

“This is expected to serve as a deterrent to all other broadcast stations in Nigeria who are quick to provide platform for subversive rhetoric and the expositions of spurious and unverifiable claims, to desist from such.

“The Commission wishes to put it on record that it will not hesitate to suspend the Broadcast Licence of broadcast stations that continue to breach the Code.

“Stations are, by this statement, admonished to desist forthwith, from airing unwholesome content, or be ready to face appropriate sanctions.”

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