The Federal Government has imposed a fine of N5 million on Trust Television Network over the broadcast of the documentary on banditry.
National Broadcasting Commission Director General, Balarabe Illela, made this known in a letter to the station and made available to the media.
Last Thursday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, had hinted that the government would sanction Trust TV and BBC for “terrorism glorification” in their documentaries.
Responding to the sanction, Trust TV said, “While we are currently studying the Commission’s action and weighing our options, we wish to state unequivocally that as a television station, we believe we were acting in the public interest by shedding light on the thorny issue of banditry and how it is affecting millions of citizens of our country.
“The documentary traces the root of the communal tensions and systemic inadequacies which led to the armed conflict that is setting the stage for another grand humanitarian crisis in Nigeria. It presents insights into the intersection of injustice, ethnicity and bad governance as drivers of the conflict.
“It also aggregates voices of experts and key actors towards finding solutions, including those of the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and Senator Saidu Mohammed Dansadau, who hails from one the worst-hit communities in Zamfara State.”
