The Northern Broadcast Media Owners Association (NBMOA) Board of Trustees has initiated a legal action against Arewa 24 Limited and seven others over the licensing and operational status of the parties.
The suit is currently before Justice Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Council, MIPAN, MULTICHOICE, STARTIMES, and ADVAN are all defendants in the suit.
NBMOA wants the court to determine, among other things, the threat posed by the activities of the unlicensed broadcasts, who are the defendants, on the legal and competitive media landscape and its effect on media owners and audiences across Nigeria.
The chairman of the NBMOA Board of Trustees, Alhaji (Dr) Ahmed Tijjani Ramalan, in a statement, emphasised the association’s dedication to upholding lawful broadcasting standards.
It reads further: “Our objective is to ensure a fair, regulated media environment, in line with established broadcasting standards, while maintaining a commitment to the rule of law.”
Meanwhile, the NBMOA has laid it so that it will not issue further comments until court proceedings have concluded, emphasising the need to respect the legal process in the interest of justice and transparency.
He assured, however, that the outcome of the hearing will be closely monitored as it may have significant implications for Nigeria’s broadcasting and media regulation framework.