NewStats: 3,261,259 , 8,173,554 topics. Date: Wednesday, 28 May 2025 at 05:23 PM 6u6c1l

A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, gave an order of perpetual injunction restraining the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) from imposing fines, henceforth, on broadcast stations in the country.

Justice James Omotosho, in a judgement, also set aside the N500,000 fines imposed, on March 1, 2019, on each of the 45 broadcast stations.

Justice Omotosho held that NBC, not being a court of law, had no power to impose sanctions as punishment on broadcast stations.

He further held that the NBC Code, which gives the commission the power to impose sanctions, is in conflict with Section 6 of the Constitution, which vested judicial power in the court of law.

He said the court would not sit idle and watch a body arbitrarily imposing a fine without recourse to the law.

He said that the commission did not comply with the law when it sat as a complainant and at the same time, the court and the judge on its own matter.

The judge agreed that the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, being a subsidiary legislation that empowers an istrative body such as the NBC to enforce its provisions, cannot confer judicial powers on the commission to impose criminal sanctions or penalties such as fines.

He also agreed that the commission, not the Nigeria Police Force, had no power to conduct a criminal investigation that would lead to criminal trial and imposition of sanctions.

“This will go against the doctrine of separation of powers,” he said.

Omotosho held that what the doctrine sought to achieve was to prevent tyranny by concentrating too much power in one organ.

The judge set aside the fines imposed on 45 broadcast stations by NBC on March 1, 2019.

“The action of the respondent qualifies as excessiveness as it had ascribed to itself the judicial and executive powers,” he said.

SOURCE

NBC in the mud

Maybe i am wrong BUT This doesnt make sense. NBC is a regulating commission/body, it should have power to be able to sanction erring broadcasting organisation without having to rely on the judiciary.

Instead it is the broadcasting organisation that should file a case at the court if they are not satisfy with the sanctions impose on them.

It is more like telling LASTMA, ROAD SAFETY or other precautionary and regulating agency to seek court intervention before impounding your vehicle for going against the law or NCC trying to seek court intervention before imposing sanctions on erring network providers. These are regulatory bodies, it is one of their main responsibility taken away from them while rendering them incapacitated.

Court process takes too long. We all know NBC is the only thing holding this mischievous and overly sentimental media houses by the balls and checkmating their excesses. If not, journalism would have been an insane crazy affair in this country. It should be the other way round. Anyone who is not satisfy with the sanctions should go to court not the regulatory body seeking court intervention and interpretation before imposing sanctions.

Take a look at ARISETV as a case study. This is an invitation to unethical, unprincipled journalism. In a bid to cleanse the country's mediums of information, of partisanship and unprofessional conduct. The court strikes. This is a judgement against our sanity.

Agbado miscreants won't like this sweat news ,I pity anybody that trust this set of humans because everything about them is just fake,lies and propaganda

Better late than never

Way to go?

Sweet news

Thanksful:
NBC in the mud

I tell u don't be surprised the will rush to Appeal court

Our judiciary is waking up

OK, So nah now they just they wake.






MY signature is SMILING

lhordspy:
This doesnt make sense.

how? So that you can fine them if they post bad news about tinubu? Go and fight the court na.. if nbc feels aggrieved with any tv station or newspaper, they should sue the tv to court.. simple

A new Nigeria is POssible!

NBC sound like an arm of terrorist organisation




Authoritarian organisation



Thank God the judiciary has clip it wings

Nice one. That clown at NBC can go fvck himself now.

Victory for freedom of speech, Tinubu can go ahead and challenge this case in court

Good one. They shouldn't be allowed to turn our democracy to dictatorship.

Time to speak the truth

lhordspy:
This doesnt make sense. NBC is a regulating commission, it should have power to be able to sanction erring broadcasting organisation without having to rely on the judiciary.

Instead it is the broadcasting organisation that should file a case at the court if they are not satisfy with the sanctions imposed on them.

mr helinius you don switch

lhordspy:
Maybe i am wrong BUT This doesnt make sense. NBC is a regulating commission, it should have power to be able to sanction erring broadcasting organisation without having to rely on the judiciary.

Instead it is the broadcasting organisation that should file a case at the court if they are not satisfy with the sanctions imposed on them.

Zomb ie

They should pay back all the fines meted on stations like ChannelsTv and AriseTv..

While letting NTA that aired binani's victory speech walk free.. Stupid Nigeria. Stupid Government . Stupid Organisations.. that all we have.

Oooooooiiiin NBC.

Since you have chosen to be a tool in the hands of this oppressive party called APC.

This is a welcome development. Even tho it's coming at a time when Mr Lie is leaving the corridors of power. NBC has been nothing but a puppet to the APC regime.

Well, NBC has some locus standi. But we are still evolving and excesses must be addressed whenever they come up

If we truly want to have a working country, the judiciary has to be totally independent of the executive.

Also, there must be a body that ensures the executive and its agencies comply with court judgements. If not, we will keep going round in circles.

lhordspy:
Maybe i am wrong BUT This doesnt make sense. NBC is a regulating commission, it should have power to be able to sanction erring broadcasting organisation without having to rely on the judiciary.

Instead it is the broadcasting organisation that should file a case at the court if they are not satisfy with the sanctions imposed on them.

I agree.

That judgement is delivered per incuriam.

As long as the NBC Act has empowered it to regulate the industry - it cannot have recourse to the court and enforcemenft agencies every time it wants to investigate noncompliance, impose sanctions and exercise its function.

That’s a rubbish judgement and should be upturned on appeal.

fergie001:


SOURCE

Wrong judicial pronouncement

kozmokaz:
Our judiciary is waking up

yes gradually.