Nigeria: Government urged to lift suspension of TV station

Independent Advocacy Project, IAP, Nigeria’s leading governance group has called on the federal government to immediately lift its suspension of the independent Channels TV, free staff members being detained and make a public commitment to restrain its agents from further clamping down on the media.

Security agents closed the Lagos and Abuja offices of Channels last week after the station aired a hoax report that President Umaru Yar'Adua might resign for health reasons. Security agents detained General Manager Steve Judo, News Controller Ambrose Okoh, Abuja Bureau Editor Bashiru Adigun and Abuja Station Manager Shola Olaiya, according to Channels Chairman John Momoh, who apologised to Yar'Adua the day after the report was aired. He expressed ‘deep regret’ for broadcasting the phoney report.

The hoax story which was sent electronically to some media houses was credited to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the nation’s official agency. NAN swiftly denied the story, saying: ‘We believe that it is a mischief maker at work.’

Equally swiftly however, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) suspended the Channels’ license, accusing the station of violating the National Broadcasting Commission Act. ‘The decision to suspend the licence of Channels is in itself a violation of the Broadcasting Code as the Code specifies that broadcasting stations must be given prior notice and a hearing prior to such suspensions,’ says IAP spokesperson Gbenga Ogundare.

IAP is particularly concerned about the Yar’adua regime’s clampdown on journalists. Apart from the Channels incident, there have been recent cases involving the National Standard magazine and reporters Abimbola Ogunnaike and Wale Ajayi of the Nigerian Compass and Nigerian Tribune respectively.

Media Enquiries: Gbenga Ogundare
[email][email protected]
234- (0)8036697277