The Nigerian Guild of Editors has condemned in strong terms the threat issued to Channels Television by the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, over an interview with the spokesperson of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mr Emmanuel Powerful.
Powerful had featured on Channels programme “Politics Today” on Sunday April 25, 2021, where he allegedly made inciting statements.
The NBC in the letter ordered the immediate suspension of the programme.
In a statement jointly signed by the President, Mustapha Isah and General Secretary, Mary Atolagbe, NGE said they would not stand by and watch media houses being threatened by regulatory agencies in the country.
The Guild further stated that press freedom was threatened when media houses were made to operate in an atmosphere of fear.
The Guild said they stood with Channels and would go to any length to defend press freedom in the country.
The body of editors added that they believed that the NBC was guilty of double standard because stations that carried Sheikh Gumi’s parley with terrorists in their camps, were not sanctioned by the commission.
They said NBC should jettison the practice of issuing threats to broadcast stations over matters that could easily be dealt with through dialogue, adding that democracy would be meaningless in Nigeria if press freedom was eroded.
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