Hate Speech: Nigerians tackle NBC, Minister over new code, fine on radio station

The regulatory body said it fined the channel,, N5 million for “providing its platform to be used to promote unverifiable and inciting views that can incite crime, public disorder.”

“Dr Mailafia Obadia’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 organisation, alive or dead or generally be disrespectful to human dignity,” the statement read.

The National Broadcasting Commission board has however distanced itself from the ammendment of the code, insisting it was ‘erroneously’ done by the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed.Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, said the fine on Nigeria Info radio was a “threat to an evolving democracy like Nigeria’s.”

“As a matter of fact, it seems somewhat contradictory that a country like ours, which is in the throes of national security skirmishes, would choose to shrink media access to critical information . It is not known if any society had won the war against terrorism by placing a restriction to access to information, in the way the NBC had done.”

The statement said if for any reason the authorities were not satisfied with his explanations, they are at liberty to prosecute him in court, but not to make a scapegoat of the media platform that provides opportunities for citizens to ventilate their views. “Even if a case of hate speech can be established, it is totally out of place in a democratic setting that NBC would be the one to accuse, prosecute and judge its own case against the station,” Mr. Arogundade said.

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