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Court bars NBC from imposing fines on broadcast stations
Court bars NBC from imposing fines on broadcast stations
A Federal High Court Abuja, on Wednesday, gave an order of perpetual injunction restraining the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) from imposing fines, henceforth, on broadcast stations in the country.
Justice James Omotosho, in a judgement, also set aside the N500,000 fines imposed, on March 1, 2019, on each of the 45 broadcast stations.
Justice Omotosho held that the NBC, not being a court of law, had no power to impose sanctions as punishment on broadcast stations.
He further held that the NBC Code, which gives the commission the power to impose sanction, is in conflict with Section 6 of the Constitution that vested judicial power in the court of law.
He said the court would not sit idle and watch a body imposing fine arbitrarily without recourse to the law.
He said the commission did not comply with the law when it sat as a complainant and at the same time, the court and the judge on its own matter.
The judge agreed that the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, being a subsidiary legislation that empowers an administrative body such as the NBC to.enforce its provisions cannot confer judicial powers on the commission to impose criminal sanctions or penalties such as fines.
He also agreed that the commission, not being Nigerian police, had no power to conduct criminal investigation that would lead to criminal trial and imposition of sanctions.
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“This will go against the doctrine of separation of powers,” he said.
Omotosho held that what the doctrine sought to achieve was to prevent tyranny by concentrating too much powers in one organ.
“The action of the respondent qualifies as excessiveness” as it had ascribed to itself the judicial and executive powers.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NBC had, on March 1, 2019, imposed the sum of N500, 000 each on 45 broadcast stations in the country over alleged violation of its code.
However, the Incorporated Trustees of Media Rights Agenda had, in an originating motions marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1386/2021, sued the NBC as sole respondent in the suit.
In the motion dated Nov. 9, 2021 by its lawyer, Noah Ajare, the group sought a declaration that the sanctions procedure applied by the NBC in imposing N500,00Q fines on each of the 45 broadcast stations on March 1, 2019 was a violation of the rules of natural justice.
The lawyer also said that the fines were in violation of the right to fair hearing under Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Articles 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act (Cap AQ) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The group argued that this was so because the code, which created the alleged offences of which the broadcast stations were accused was written and adopted by the NBC, “and also gives powers to the said commission to receive complaints of alleged breaches, investigate and adjudicate the complaints, impose sanctions, including fines, and ultimately collect the fines, which the commission uses for its own purposes.”
They, therefore, sought an order setting aside the N500,000 fines purportedly imposed by the NBC on each of the 45 broadcast stations on Friday, March 1, 2019.
They also sought “an order of perpetual Injunction restraining the respondent, its servants, agents, privies, representatives or anyone acting for or on its behalf, from imposing fines on any of the broadcast stations or any other broadcast station in Nigeria for any alleged offence committed under the Nigerian Broadcasting Code.”
Delivering the judgment, Justice Omotosho decsribed the NBC’s act as being ultra vires.
He held that the fines imposed by the NBC as punishment for commission of various offences under its code were contrary to the law and hereby declared as unconstitutional, null and void.
The judge also made an order of perpetual injunction restraining the commission from further imposing fines on broadcast stations in the country.
Court bars NBC from imposing fines on broadcast stations
(NAN)
metro
Quack Doctor Sentenced to Death for Murder in Ekiti
Quack Doctor Sentenced to Death for Murder in Ekiti
An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado‑Ekiti has sentenced 48‑year‑old Olatide Temitope Emmanuel to death by hanging after finding him guilty of murder and impersonation for posing as a medical doctor and causing the death of a pregnant woman during a botched procedure. The ruling serves as a stern warning against medical quackery in Nigeria.
Emmanuel was arraigned before Justice Babajide Aladejana on two counts: murder for the June 24, 2019 death of Falade Bosede at Odo Ikole Compound, Erinmope‑Ekiti, and impersonation of a medical doctor on June 9, 2019 at Ajebamidele Street, Otun Ekiti. The offences contravened Sections 316 and 319(1) of the Criminal Code Law, Cap. C16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.
The prosecution, led by Kunle‑Shina Adeyemo, called seven witnesses and tendered multiple exhibits, including the defendant’s statements, medical reports, and photographs of the deceased, proving that Emmanuel — who had no recognized medical qualification — unlawfully conducted the procedure that led to Bosede’s death.
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During his defence, Emmanuel admitted he was not a certified medical doctor, claiming only to have worked as a nursing apprentice in Lagos and later opened his own private clinic in Erinmope. He did not call any witnesses to support his case.
In delivering judgment, Justice Aladejana stated, “The prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt that the reckless action of the defendant caused her death on 24th June, 2019. The defendant is accordingly found guilty as charged. The judgment of this court is that you, Olatide Temitope Emmanuel, be hanged by the neck until you are dead.”
Legal analysts note that the case underscores the dangers of unlicensed medical practice, particularly in rural communities where access to certified healthcare is limited. Experts say the ruling could act as a deterrent to quacks and fraudsters who endanger lives by impersonating medical professionals.
Emmanuel retains the right to appeal the judgment, which may be taken to a higher court for review. Meanwhile, the sentence reflects the severity of practising medicine without qualifications and the legal system’s commitment to protecting public health in Nigeria.
Quack Doctor Sentenced to Death for Murder in Ekiti
metro
Lagos Court Remands Four Police Officers Over Owode Onirin Market Killings
Lagos Court Remands Four Police Officers Over Owode Onirin Market Killings
A Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ebute Metta, Lagos, has ordered the remand of four police officers accused of killing traders at the Owode Onirin International Spare Parts Market in Lagos State.
The defendants — Msanu Bala (41), Jibrin Samaila (47), Ibrahim Garuba (29), and Ibrahim Kashimu (26) — were arraigned on a seven-count charge bordering on conspiracy and murder over the deadly incident that reportedly occurred at the busy market.
According to the prosecution, the alleged offence took place on August 27, 2025, at about 9:00 a.m., when the officers and others still at large allegedly opened fire on traders using AK-47 rifles during a confrontation at the market.
The prosecutor, O.W. Ologun, told the court that the accused officers allegedly conspired to carry out the attack, which resulted in the deaths of several traders and injuries to others.
The charge sheet listed six victims allegedly killed during the shooting. They include Bamidele Dare Mufutau, Adebayo Adewale Mathew, Adeoye Taiye, Abraham Idowu Temilola, Akinboye Oluwaseyi Olamilekan, and Akeem Aderemi Adeoye.
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Authorities said the alleged offences contravene Sections 223 and 233 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, which deal with conspiracy and murder.
Following their arraignment, the presiding magistrate E. Kubeinje ordered that the suspects be remanded at the Kirikiri Custodial Centre pending legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
The court subsequently adjourned the case until April 15, 2026, for mention.
Counsel to the defendants, Azuri Ejiofor, opposed the remand request, arguing that the accused officers had already spent more than five months in detention before being brought before the court.
However, the court granted the prosecution’s request for remand while awaiting the DPP’s legal advice to determine whether the case would proceed to full trial.
The case is linked to a violent confrontation between traders and armed security operatives during a dispute reportedly related to demolition activities and land ownership issues at the Owode Onirin market.
The incident sparked public outrage among traders and residents, who demanded justice for the victims killed during the shooting at the popular spare parts market in the Kosofe area of Lagos State.
Earlier, the Lagos State Police Command confirmed that the officers involved in the incident had been dismissed from the Nigeria Police Force following investigations into the killings.
Authorities say the prosecution of the suspects is part of efforts to ensure accountability and justice over the Owode Onirin market killings.
Lagos Court Remands Four Police Officers Over Owode Onirin Market Killings
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Boko Haram, ISWAP Kill Officers, Soldiers in Fresh Attacks on North-East Military Bases
Boko Haram, ISWAP Kill Officers, Soldiers in Fresh Attacks on North-East Military Bases
Jihadi extremist groups, including Boko Haram and its faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have intensified coordinated attacks on military bases across Nigeria’s North-East, leaving several officers and soldiers dead and raising fresh concerns about security in the region.
Over the past week, insurgents carried out multiple assaults on military formations in Borno and Yobe states, targeting troop positions in remote areas and communities around the Lake Chad region.
Security reports indicate that at least two military officers and several soldiers were killed during the latest wave of attacks, while analysts estimate that no fewer than four officers may have died within the period as militants launched simultaneous operations against different bases.
The Nigerian military confirmed the incidents, describing them as coordinated attempts by terrorists to overwhelm troop positions.
Military spokesperson Maj.-Gen. Sani Uba said the attacks, which occurred between Sunday and Monday, resulted in the loss of an unspecified number of soldiers and at least one officer.
According to him, the casualties add to the deaths of several soldiers and another officer earlier recorded during separate attacks earlier in the week.
Reports show that Islamic extremists launched at least six attacks over the weekend across Borno and Yobe states, striking several military formations and checkpoints across the wider Lake Chad basin, a region that has remained the epicentre of the insurgency for more than a decade.
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During the raids, insurgents reportedly carted away military trucks, motorcycles, weapons and ammunition from some of the bases after temporarily overrunning the facilities.
Videos circulated by ISWAP after the attacks showed militants displaying weapons, ammunition, motorcycles and vehicles which the group claimed were seized during the assaults.
Security experts say such attacks are often aimed at replenishing insurgents’ weapons stockpiles.
Taiwo Adebayo, an analyst at the Institute for Security Studies, said insurgents typically target military camps to seize arms and supplies.
“When they hit those camps, they strip the base of weapons, burn it down and retreat into the forests,” he said.
Another security researcher, Malik Samuel of Good Governance Africa, warned that the vulnerability of some military bases allows insurgents to strengthen their arsenal without spending resources on purchasing weapons.
“As long as military bases remain vulnerable to being overrun, ISWAP does not need to spend money buying arms,” he said.
The renewed attacks have triggered public anger in Nigeria, with some citizens accusing the administration of President Bola Tinubu of focusing on political developments ahead of the next presidential election rather than addressing worsening insecurity in the North-East.
Observers note that although ISWAP has increased attacks on military positions in recent months, the latest wave marks one of the few times the group has launched multiple coordinated assaults on several bases within a short period.
The attacks are occurring despite increased security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States, under which more than 100 US troops have been deployed to assist the Nigerian military with training, logistics and intelligence support.
Analysts say insurgents continue to exploit limited government presence and weak security coverage in remote communities, enabling them to move quickly between forests and border areas across the Lake Chad region.
Nigeria’s Boko Haram insurgency, which began in 2009, remains one of the country’s deadliest security crises, killing thousands of people and displacing millions across the North-East and neighbouring countries.
Boko Haram, ISWAP Kill Officers, Soldiers in Fresh Attacks on North-East Military Bases
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