Badeggi FM closure: SERAP, NGE sue Niger State governor, NBC - ITREALMS

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The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) have filed a lawsuit against Governor Mohammed Umar Bago of Niger State and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) over intimidation of Minna-based radio station, Badeggi FM, and the threat to shut and crack down on the station using law enforcement.

Governor Bago recently directed security operatives to seal Badeggi FM, with threat to revoked its license, demolish the station’s premises, and profiling the station's owner, Shuiabu Badeggi.

Court: MRA can sue NBC for failure to disclose unformation in 2 cases - ITREALMS

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A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted Media Rights Agenda (MRA) leave to sue the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) in two separate cases, reports ITREALMS.

This is coming over the Commission’s failure to grant the organization’s requests for information on the scope of independence reportedly granted it by President Muhammadu Buhari and details of the 302 broadcasting stations it said it sanctioned in four months after campaigns for the 2023 elections began in September 2022.

Paradigm Initiative to sue FG over social media surveillance

ITREALMS:

Digital rights group, the Paradigm Initiative (PI), has vowed to challenge the Nigerian Government’s latest attempt to curtail free speech online in a law court, reports ITRealms.

A press statement available to ITRealms, PI condemned the recent order issued by the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Ali, to security agencies to “tackle the propagation of hate speech through the social media, particularly by some notable Nigerians.”

Mr Ali, ITRealms gathered gave the order during a security meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, did not provide any detail as to what constitutes “hate speech” and the criteria that would be employed by the security agencies to determine when free speech becomes “hate speech”.

The absence of such details in Mr Ali’s order, PI noted, has become customary with critics of free speech online including President Muhammadu Buhari who once complained about an undefined “red line” online users are wont to cross in their expression online.

Also, ITRealms recalled that few months ago, the Director of Defence Information, Major General John Enenche, publicly announced to the world that the military now has “strategic media centres that monitor the social media to be able to sieve out and react to all the ones that will be anti-government, be anti-military, (and) be anti-security.

“We tackle them appropriately with appropriate responses” Enenche had declared.

Reacting on the latest FG plans, the Paradigm Initiative’s Digital Rights Programme Manager for Anglophone West Africa, ‘Boye Adegoke, lamenting that security agencies now routinely tap citizens’ phones, especially in the federal capital, Abuja.

The Buhari administration, he noted, through its policies and public statements by its functionaries, has successfully created an atmosphere that emboldens security agents from EFCC to DSS and to the Police to make themselves the arbiter of free speech online. In the last one year, at least 14 Nigerians have been arrested and detained for making free speech online.

“we are deeply concerned that free speech online continues to suffer sustained attacks from agents of government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari. The restriction of access to twenty one news websites including Naij.com is just one of the several attempts by the government to curtail people’s rights online. Therefore, the order by Mr Ali can only further negatively affects the digital space,” Adegoke said.

Further, ITRealms gathered that Paradigm Initiative and partners are currently in court to challenge Sections 24 and 38 of the Cybercrimes Act that have been repeatedly used to persecute online critics in the last two years.

The organisation equally sued the Ministry of Science and Technology over its alleged acquisition of spy satellites. In this vein, the organisation has dragged the Nigerian Communications Commission to court over the illegal restriction of access to some news sites. There seems to be no end to the government’s attempt to invade privacy and curtail free speech.

“As Nigeria heads for a general election in 2019, Nigerians must not allow the government to trample on constitutionally guaranteed rights such as free speech. Paradigm Initiative, on its part, will continue to challenge any anti-free speech policy or posturing by the government. Digital rights like privacy and freedom of expression are important features of modern societies and must not be allowed to be abused by people who are afraid of criticism,” Adegoke said.

Nonye Dom/GEE

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FoI: PPDC, AFRICMIL get court leave to sue CCB over non-disclosure of senior public officials

 ITRealms:

A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted leave to the duo of Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) and the African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) to sue Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) for refusal to disclose asset declaration of senior public officials since 2011, reports ITRealms.

This follows the Motion Ex-parte filed by the two organizations on the failure of the CCB to provide information on written declaration of assets of elected and appointed office holders under the Freedom of Information Act 2011.

At the hearing, Godwin Chigbu, lawyer to the applicants, requested for leave of court to file a suit against the Code of Conduct Bureau on its failure to respond to the FoI requests made by both organizations.

AFRICIMIL requested for copies of written asset declaration of:

1.      The Past and Current Principal Officers of both Chambers of the 7th and 8th National Assembly, as required by the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.

While PPDC, requested copies of the written asset declaration of:

1.      Past and Current Governors of the 36 states in Nigeria, since 2011 till date, as required by the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended;

2.      Past and Current Ministers of all Ministries in Nigeria, since 2011 till date, as required by the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.

3.      The Former President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, upon assumption of office on 29th May 2011 and after his exit from office, on 29th May 2015, as required by the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.

4.      The Former Vice President of Nigeria, Arch. Namadi Sambo, upon his assumption of office on 29th May 2011 and after his exit from office, on 29th May 2015, as required by the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

5.      The Current President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari upon his assumption of office, on 29^th May 2015, as required by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

6.      The Current Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo (SAN) upon his assumption of office as Vice President, on 29^th May 2015, as required by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

ITRealms gathered that though both organizations made these requests under the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, the CCB failed to respond to any of these requests within the time stipulated in the Act, thereby leading to the filing of a motion ex-parte by both organizations.

ITRealms recalls that it is the constitutional responsibility of the Bureau, to retain custody of written asset declaration forms of public officers and make them available and accessible for inspection by any citizen of Nigeria on such terms and conditions as the national assembly may prescribe.

Uboshe Uboshe/GEE 

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