Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified the power of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to impose fines on broadcast stations for alleged breaches of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.

Delivering judgment in a suit instituted by the Media Rights Agenda (MRA) against NBC, following the Commission’s imposition of fines of N5 million each on a television station and three pay-tv platforms in 2022 for allegedly undermining Nigeria’s national security by broadcasting documentaries on banditry in Nigeria, Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia held that the NBC, being not a court of law, acted above its powers by imposing such fines.

The judge declared null and void the provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, authorizing the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to impose fines on broadcast stations for alleged breaches of the Code, as it ruled that administrative and regulatory bodies could not exercise judicial powers.

The judge commended MRA for challenging NBC’s action and issued an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Commission or anyone acting on its behalf from further imposing any fine on any media platform or broadcast station in Nigeria for any alleged offence committed under the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.