NBC Fines AIT, Arise, Channels Over EndSARS protests
National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has fined local media for covering the #EndSARS campaign. The stations at the receiving end of this N3 million fine are ARISE Television, Africa Independent Television(AIT) and Channels Television.
Professor Armstrong Idachaba, the Acting Director-General of the commission announced this in a press conference held in Abuja on Monday, October 26 2020. According to him, the stations were fined for ‘unprofessional coverage’ of the #EndSARS protest.
At the beginning of the protests against police brutality in Nigeria, the NBC warned Media organisations against broadcasting the demonstrations in a way that would cause an embarrassment to the government of Nigeria of the general Nigerian public neither should they cause disaffection, rift nor incite to panic in Nigeria.
Following the series of curfews and the recent Lekki shooting that saw to the reduction in protests, Idachaba announced that the stations were fined for airing unverified images of the protests and unprofessional coverage that were capable of leading to a total breakdown of law and order.
He also said if the stations violated any more rules or tried to escalate the current crisis, the NBC can comfortable shut them down.