The Federal Government says it will sanction the BBC and Trust Tv for airing respective documentaries glorifying and fueling terrorism, ba...
The Federal Government says it will sanction the BBC and
Trust Tv for airing respective documentaries glorifying and fueling terrorism,
banditry in Nigeria.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed
disclosed this in an interview with newsmen on Thursday in Abuja.
Mohammed said the Federal Government is aware of the
unprofessional documentary by the BBC, Africa Eye, where interviews were
granted to bandit warlords and terror gangs, thereby promoting terror in the
country.
He condemned the BBC for not upholding the same standards
and tenets as they would have done in the UK.
The minister also condemned Trust Tv, owned by Media Trust
Ltd. for using its platform to grant interview to a bandit kingpin, Shehu
Rekeb, thereby promoting activities of terrorists.
According to him, both platforms by their actions have
become accomplices to terrorists and bandits in the name of reporting.
The minister said the appropriate regulatory body was
already looking at the infractions and appropriate sanctions would be meted to
both platforms.
“There is a regulatory body regulating broadcasting which is
the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and they are also aware of these two
incidents.
“They are looking at which part of the Broadcasting Code
that has been violated by the BBC and Trust TV.
“Media is the oxygen that terrorists and bandits use to
breathe.
“When otherwise reputable platforms like BBC can give their
platform to terrorists showing their faces as if they are Nollywood stars, it
is unfortunate.
“I want to assure them that they will not get away with it,
appropriate sanctions will be meted to both the BBC and the Trust Tv,’’ he
said.
The minister said that the fact that the BBC is a foreign
medium and not under NBC regulations, notwithstanding, sanctions will be meted
to the medium.
“Let me assure you that they will not get away with the
naked glorification of terrorism and banditry in Nigeria.
“If they are not registered in Nigeria and they are only
sending their signals to Nigeria, we will ask them to stop sending the signals.
“I know that during the IRA days, the BBC will not dare do
what they are doing now in Nigeria.
“It is because there is a country called Nigeria that they
are operating here,’’ he said.
The minister reiterated that the government would not
tolerate any attempt by any media organisation to use its platform to set the
country on fire. (NAN)
No comments