The National Media Complaints Commission (NMCC), otherwise known as the Ombudsman, has received a formal complaint from the Federal Government against the Daily Trust newspaper, which it alleged published an article on July 4, 2024 “containing false and misleading information that severely threatens national security.”
In the complaint, dated July 8, 2024, and signed by Dr. Ngozi Onwudiwe, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, on behalf of Information Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, the Government alleged that on July 4, 2024, the newspaper published on its front page a news item titled “LGBT: Nigeria Signs $150 Billion Samoa Deal,” in which it reported that the Government had endorsed a European Union (EU) partnership agreement (referred to as the “Samoa Agreement” with member states of the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS), despite some conditional clauses that compel benefiting nations to support the agitations by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) community for recognition.
