Articles by Media Rights Agenda (MRA)
Security agents raid television station, halt broadcast, seize master tape of documentary film
(MRA/IFEX) – On 14 May 2006, agents from the State Security Service (SSS), Nigeria’s intelligence service, raided the Abuja office of Daar Communications Limited, owners of Ray Power FM radio and the Africa Independent Television (AIT), and seized the master tape of a documentary film. Upon arrival at the premises, the security agents halted further […]
Regulatory authority lifts restrictions on sanctioned radio station
(MRA/IFEX) – Nigeria’s broadcast regulatory authority, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), has lifted the restrictions, including a partial shut down, which it imposed on a privately-owned radio station, Freedom Radio, on 28 March 2006 for its alleged violation of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code. Mr. Farouk Dalhatu, executive director of the station, which is based in […]
Detained publisher released, faces criminal charges; two other newspaper employees released
(MRA/IFEX) – Alfred Egbegi, publisher of the weekly newspaper “Izon Link”, who was arrested by the police in Yenogoa, the Bayelsa state capital in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria on 12 April 2006, has been released from custody, but is now facing criminal charges in court. Egbegi was released on bail in the evening of […]
Publisher, two other newspaper employees arrested and detained
(MRA/IFEX) – On 12 April 2006, Alfred Egbegi, publisher of the weekly newspaper “Izon Link”, was arrested by the police in Yenogoa, the Bayelsa State capital in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria. Egbegi was apparently arrested over a story published in the Volume 7, Number 8 edition of the newspaper, carrying the headline “Ebebi cries […]
Newspaper publisher fears for his life after receiving threatening calls over critical article
(MRA/IFEX) – On 11 April 2006, Alfred Egbegi, publisher of the privately-owned weekly newspaper “Izon Link”, based in Yenogoa, the Bayelsa State capital in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria, expressed fear that his life may be in danger as officials of the state government and security operatives were harassing him over a story published in […]
Journalists assaulted by policemen while covering protest
(MRA/IFEX) – On 7 April 2006, Attah Ikharo and Jerry Adamu, two journalists with a privately owned television station, Degue Broadcast Network (DBN), were beaten by policemen, led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the Garki Police Station in Abuja, Femi Ogedengbe. The incident took place while Ikharo and Adamu were covering […]
Local government chairman, policeman assault photojournalist covering census exercise
(MRA/IFEX) – On 21 March 2006, Dare Fasube, a photojournalist with the “Vanguard” newspaper assigned to cover the national housing and population census exercise at the Ibadan North East Local Government Area in Oyo State in southwest Nigeria, was attacked by Mr. Gbenga Adewusi, the chairman of the local government. Fasube was taking photographs of […]
Regulatory agency imposes sweeping sanctions and partially shuts down private radio station for alleged breach of broadcasting code
(MRA/IFEX) – On 28 March 2006, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Nigeria’s regulatory agency for the broadcast media, imposed sweeping sanctions, including a partial shutdown, on a privately-owned radio station, Freedom Radio, for allegedly violating the Nigeria Broadcasting Code. The NBC banned the station, based in Kano in northwest Nigeria, from broadcasting between 5:00 p.m. […]