NBC bans radio, TV stations from reporting details of terror attacks

17 Jul NBC bans radio, TV stations from reporting details of terror attacks

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has barred radio and television stations in Nigeria from reporting details of attacks by bandits and terrorists.

In a letter titled ‘Newspaper Reviews And Current Affairs Programmes: A Need For Caution’, dated July 7, 2021 and signed by Francisca Aiyetan on behalf of Balarabe Ilelah, Director General of NBC, the broadcast regulatory agency said that going forward, stations should also desist from naming victims of such attacks in order not to “glamourize the nefarious activities of insurgents, bandits and kidnappers” in their reports.

The commission advised broadcasters to apply caution in their reportage, saying that divulging too many details may have an adverse effect on the efforts of the Nigerian security agencies.

The commission claimed that some of the topics discussed during newspaper reviews have “ethnological coating which pitches one section of the country against the other and leaving Nigerians in daily hysteria.”

It asked broadcast stations to be guided by provisions of Sections 5.4.1(f) and 5.4.3 of the NBC Code which states: “The broadcaster shall not transmit divisive materials that may threaten or compromise the divisibility and indissolubility of Nigeria as a sovereign state. In reporting conflict situations, the broadcaster shall perform the role of a peace agent by adhering to the principle of responsibility, accuracy and neutrality.”

“Headlines of most newspapers on a daily basis are replete with security topics. While bringing information on security to the doorsteps of Nigerians is a necessity, there is a need for caution as too many details may have an adverse implication on the efforts of our security officials who are duty-bound to deal with the insurgency.

“The commission, therefore, enjoins broadcasters to collaborate with the government in dealing with the security challenges by not glamourizing the nefarious activities of insurgents, terrorists, kidnappers, bandits etc,” the statement said.