𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐬 𝐍𝐁𝐂 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐏𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.

A Federal High Court in Lagos has, in a ruling, stopped the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) from using its recently issued ‘Formal Notice’ to threaten, sanction or punish broadcast stations and presenters for expressing personal opinions as facts, bullying or intimidating guests, or failing to maintain neutrality.

Justice Daniel Osiagor on Monday granted an order of interim injunction following arguments on an ex parte motion filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE).

The case was argued on behalf of SERAP and NGE by their lawyer, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN.

The ruling follows a lawsuit filed by SERAP and NGE challenging what they described as “an arbitrary and unlawful attempt by the NBC to sanction broadcasters for allegedly expressing personal opinions as facts,” “bullying or intimidating guests,” or failing to maintain “neutrality.”

The certified true copy of the ruling was obtained Tuesday.

SERAP and NGE had asked the court in the lawsuit “to determine whether the various provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code relied upon by the NBC to threaten broadcasters are inconsistent with the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) and the country’s international human rights obligations.”

The organisations also called on “the NBC to immediately comply with the court’s order.”