NBC sanctions Arise TV over fake report on Tinubu

The television station was fined N2m for breaching the broadcasting code.

Recall that the TV station apologised to Tinubu following its report that the Independent National Broadcasting Commission (INEC) was investigating the president over alleged criminal forfeiture of money on offenses bordering on narcotics and illicit drugs.

The statement, attributed to the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, claimed INEC was liaising with the Northern Illinois District Court in the United States to establish facts about the case before taking a decision.

But the electoral commission denied the statement on which Arise TV based its report.

INEC’s reaction to the report prompted the station to retract the statement and apologised to Tinubu.

Earlier, the Presidential Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had petitioned the National Broadcasting Commission, asking for sanctions against “Arise News and Channels TV over their fake reports” on Tinubu.

In the petition, signed by the Special Adviser, Media, Communications and Public Affairs of the PCC, Mr. Dele Alake, the two television stations were accused of breaching broadcast codes with their actions.

According to Alake, the purported indictment against Asiwaju Tinubu as reported and discussed on Arise News and Channels TV had already been cleared in a piece of correspondence between then Inspector General of Police Tafa Balogun and the US government.

The PCC said the continued broadcast of a non-existing 'indictment' violated the NBC code.