The National Broadcasting Commission has shut down Vision FM, an Abuja-based radio station.
The station was shutdown for discussing the controversial extension of the tenure of Director General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Rufai Abubakar and his alleged incompetence.
The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), in a letter addressed to Vision FM’s Managing Director on Wednesday, noted that it sanctioned the broadcasting outfit for airing a content against the country’s national security in one of its programmes, ‘Idon Mikiya’ on January5, 2022.
It added that the station breached section 39 (3) (b) of the 1999 constitution which imposed restrictions on issues relating to government security services or agencies.
The letter reads, “Your discussion of issues, including appointments of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) constitutes a breach of the provision of section 39 (3) (b) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which imposes restrictions on matters concerning government security services or agencies established by law.”
The commission, therefore, fined the media outlet N5 million and suspended the programme for six months, commencing from January 28, 2022.
The letter observed that transmitting trade secrets and other issues regarding a national security agency was an act prejudicial to the country’s national security.
The President had in December extended the tenure of Mr. Rufai as the DG of NIA, despite internal protests against his reappointment.
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