NBC Barred from imposing fines on Nigeria’s Broadcast Stations

VOICE AIR MEDIA News Update

A Federal High Court 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 hneld 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.