Trust Television receives a N5 million fine from NBC for a banditry documentary.

Trust Television receives a N5 million fine from NBC for a banditry documentary.

Trust Television Network (Trust TV), a division of Media Trust Limited, has been fined N5 million by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for airing the documentary “Nigeria’s Banditry: The Inside Story,” which was broadcast by the channel on March 5, 2022.

This comes a few days after the Federal Government pledged to punish the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Trust TV Network for airing several documentaries in a way that it deemed to be unprofessional and potentially conducive to the glorification of terrorism in Nigeria.

Trust TV management said that this was communicated in a letter that was signed by Balarabe, the Director General of NBC.

Trust TV stated, “As a television station, we believe we were working in the public interest by bringing light on the contentious problem of banditry and how it is affecting millions of inhabitants of our country. However, we are currently examining the Commission’s order and assessing our alternatives.

“The documentary explores the underlying causes of the intercommunal strife and structural deficiencies that resulted in the armed conflict that is preparing Nigeria for yet another major humanitarian crisis. It offers insights into how injustice, ethnicity, and poor governance interact to fuel violence. Additionally, it brings together the opinions of specialists and significant players in the search for solutions, such as the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.