Published 28th Jul, 2022

By Joseph Adeiye

The Federal Government has said that it will sanction the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Daily Trust over their documentaries on terrorism in Nigeria.

Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, made this known at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday.

“When otherwise reputable platforms like the BBC give their platform to terrorists, showing their faces as if they’re Nollywood stars. I want to assure them that they won’t get away with it. The appropriate sanctions will be meted,” Mohammed said.

“Let me assure you, they will not get away with this naked glorification of terrorism and banditry in Nigeria.

“All I can say is that there is a regulatory body, the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC), and they are also aware of these incidents and are looking at which part of the broadcasting codes have been violated by both the BBC and the Daily Trust.

“But I can assure you that there will be consequences. For those who will argue that BBC is a foreign broadcaster and as such, it is not licensed by NBC, let me assure you, they will not get away with this naked glorification of terrorism and banditry in Nigeria.

“I have said it many times here that the media is the oxygen that the terrorists and bandits need to breathe. When other reputable platforms like BBC now give their platform to terrorists, showing their faces as if they are Nollywood stars, what does that mean? I want to assure them they won’t get away with it. There are sanctions to be meted on both the BBC and the Daily Trust.”

Daily Trust TV, an extension of the Daily Trust Newspaper, released a special report on banditry in Nigerian states in March.

BBC Africa Eye’s recent investigation revealed the perspectives of some bandit leaders in Zamfara State. In the video released on Monday, Bandits said the government paid ransoms for the release of some abductees and then denied it.

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