Media Rights Agenda
Tuesday, April 9, 2013: Media Rights Agenda (MRA) today condemned Monday’s detention without charge of four media workers with the Leadership newspaper by the Nigeria Police in Abuja over stories published by the newspaper last week. MRA called on the Federal Government to put a leash on its rampaging law …
Read More »Nigerian Police Detain 2 Leadership Newspaper Reporters
Lagos, Monday, April 8, 2013: Two reporters with the Abuja-based daily ‘Leadership’ newspaper, Mr. Tony Amokeodo and Mr. Chibuzor Ukaibe, were today detained without charge at the ‘D’ Department (FCID) of the Nigeria Police in Abuja. The Group Managing Director of Leadership Newspapers Group, Mr. Azubuike Ishiekwene, confirmed the detention …
Read More »National Broadcasting Commission Withdraws Radio Station’s Operating License
Nigeria’s National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the regulatory body for broadcasting, on February 22, 2013, suspended indefinitely the Kano operating licence of Globe Broadcasting and Communications Limited, owners of Wazobia FM in Kano, Nigeria. Wazobia FM also broadcasts in Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt with different licenses covering its operations in …
Read More »Nigerian Security Operatives Release Detained Editor
Mr. Musa Mohammed Awwal, Editor of the Kaduna-based Hausa Language weekly, Al-Mizan newspaper, who was arrested at about 4.00am on February 14, 2013, was released after eight days in custody. Operatives of the State Security Service (SSS), accompanied by armed soldiers, had stormed his home in Kaduna in the early …
Read More »Court Grants Bail to Two Journalists Remanded in Police Custody
Chief Magistrate Ibrahim Bello of Magistrate Court 17 Gyadi-Gadi in Kano State, on February 14, 2013, granted bail to Yakubu Musa Fagge and Mubarak Muhammad Sani of Wazobia FM as well as another person, Abubakar Rabo Abdulkarim. The sum of N100,000 (about US$637) was paid with two sureties provided for …
Read More »Organisations Ask President Jonathan to Take Urgent Steps to Ensure Issuance of Community Radio Licenses
Four non-governmental organisations: the Nigeria Community Radio Coalition (NCRC), Media Rights Agenda (MRA), the Institute for Media and Society (IMS) and the International Press Centre (IPC) have asked President Jonathan to take urgent steps to ensure that relevant government institutions and agencies give effect to his directive while the NBC …
Read More »Broadcast Regulator Bans Airing of Music Videos with Alleged Erotic Lyrics
On January 24, 2013, Nigeria’s broadcast industry regulator, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), reportedly banned a number of music videos from being broadcast on Nigeria’s free-to-air terrestrial television stations for allegedly containing erotic lyrics and scenes, promoting nudity and for showcasing what the Commission describes as suggestive dance steps. The …
Read More »Journalists say their lives are in danger over coverage of crisis in ruling party
Journalists in Adamawa State say their lives are now in danger as a result of reporting the crisis plaguing the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the state. On January 22, 2013, at about 10.36 am, local time, Mallam Shekarau Yerima, who runs a Hausa language programme called ‘Dimukradiyya a …
Read More »Lagos State Government Bars Officials from Talking to the Press
On January 21, 2013, the Lagos state Government issued a circular barring its political office holders and civil servants, including the heads of the State ministries, departments and agencies, from granting interviews to journalists or speaking on its behalf. It warned of dire consequences if the officials violated the order. …
Read More »Nigerian Editor Shot Dead by Unknown Gunmen
Mr. Ikechukwu Udendu, the Editor of Onitsha-based monthly newspaper, Anambra News, was on January 12, 2013 shot dead by suspected assassins on his way home. He was killed on his way back to Ogidi in Anambra state, where he lives, after he had gone to Onitsha to monitor the printing …
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