Following the release of the “Zamfara Bandit Warlord” a documentary video by the BBC eye into media space this week, the Federal government says Trust TV and BBC must be sanctioned for overstepping their boundaries. In separate documentaries, Trust TV and BBC African Eye released a video detailing activities of banditry by some terrorist group terrorizing North-Western Nigeria. Reacting to the documentary today, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed said the media houses are promoting and aiding terrorism in Nigeria.
The Minister disclosed that Nigeria is a sovereign nation and has a regulatory body on each of its activities, saying what the media houses did to the country was an infraction of the sovereignty of Nigeria and therefore must be meted with sanctions.
Mr. Mohammed in his statement today said, “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 has been violated by the BBC and Trust TV. Media is the oxygen that terrorists and bandits use to breathe.
The Minister said they were shocked “When otherwise reputable platforms like BBC can give their platform to terrorists showing their faces as if they are Nollywood stars, it is unfortunate.
According to the Minister, no agency or organization can toil with the sovereignty of Nigeria to that extent and get away with it.
He said that though he understand BBC was a foreign media outfit, that does not mean they can invade any country of their choice and with contempt to any law and do anyhow, they would be made to understand that there are laws in every country.
“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.
The minister said it is on record the BBC during the IRA terrorism in the United Kingdom, cannot try promoting the terrorist group and get away with it. Nigerian laws must be respected the Minister added.
