A court in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, has barred the country’s media regulator, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), from imposing fines on television stations.
In a permanent injunction issued on Wednesday, Presiding Judge James Omotosho stated that NBC lacked the judicial authority to impose penalties on broadcast stations.
Justice Omotosho also set aside the $1,084 (£988) fines imposed on 45 TV stations in March 2019 for alleged code violations.
He stated that the court would “not sit idle” while the body imposed fines arbitrarily and without legal recourse.
The Nigerian Guild of Editors praised the court’s decision, calling NBC’s fines draconian.
