NBC fines Radio Station N5m for Mailafia’s interview during which he alleged that a Governor is one of the commanders of Boko Haram

The National Broadcasting Commission has fined a radio station, Nigeria Info, N5m, for a recent comment made by a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr Obadiah Mailaifa.

This was contained in a statement signed by the NBC management on Thursday titled, ‘The National Broadcasting Commission Fines Nigeria Info 99.3 For Unprofessional Broadcast’.

It would be recalled that the NBC recently unveiled its Reviewed Broadcasting Code in Lagos and raised the fine for hate speech from N500,000 to 5 million naira.

Mailaifa was interviewed on Monday during one of the station’s programmes, Morning CrossFire. He had talked on the killings in Southern Kaduna, one of the parts of the North-West region worst hit by banditry.

“Some of us also have our intelligence networks. I have met with some of the bandits; we have met with some of their high commanders – one or two who have repented – they have sat down with us not once, not twice.

“They told us that one of the northern governors is the commander of Boko Haram in Nigeria. Boko Haram and the bandits are one and the same. They have a sophisticated network. During this lockdown their planes were moving up and down as if there was no lockdown.

“They were moving ammunition, moving money, and distributing them across different parts of the country,” the former Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress said during the programme.

He was later invited by the Department of State Services in Jos on Wednesday and was grilled for six hours.

Reacting on Thursday, the NBC said, “The National Broadcasting Commission has noted with grave concern, the unprofessional conduct of Nigeria Info 99.3FM, Lagos, in the handling of the Programme, “Morning Cross Fire”, aired on August 10, 2020, between 8.30am and 9.00am.

“The station provided its platform for the guest, Dr. Mailafia Obadiah, to promote unverifiable and inciting views that could encourage or incite to crime and lead to public disorder.

“Dr. Mailafia Obadia’s comments on the “Southern Kaduna Crisis”, were devoid of facts and by broadcasting same to the public, Nigeria Info 99.3FM, is in violation of the following sections of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code:

“3.1.1 No broadcast shall encourage or incite to crime, lead to public disorder or hate, be repugnant to public feelings or contain offensive reference to any person or organization, alive or dead or generally be disrespectful to human dignity.

“3.1.2 Broadcasting shall promote human dignity, therefore, hate speech is prohibited.