By Edwin Nwachukwu
The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has asked the Court of Appeal in Abuja to allow it file a fresh appeal against a Federal High Court judgment that stopped it from imposing fines on broadcast stations.
The request follows the Court of Appeal’s June 17, 2026 decision that struck out the Commission’s earlier appeal because it was “fundamentally defective” and incompetent.
The NBC filed the fresh application through Abuja-based lawyer, Mr. Dapo Akinosun (SAN). It wants the court to extend the time to appeal the January 10, 2024 judgment delivered by Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court.
The case started after Media Rights Agenda (MRA) challenged the NBC’s decision to fine four broadcasters ₦5 million each. The Commission accused the stations of undermining Nigeria’s national security by airing documentaries on banditry and insecurity in Zamfara State.
Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia ruled that the NBC acted unlawfully because it has no legal power to impose fines on broadcasters. She held that only a court of law can impose such penalties.
The judgment affected Multichoice Nigeria Limited, owners of DStv, TelCom Satellite Limited (TSTV), Trust-TV Network Limited and NTA StarTimes Limited.
The Court of Appeal struck out the NBC’s first appeal on June 17, 2026.
The court said the appeal documents wrongly described the appellant as the “Nigerian Broadcasting Commission” instead of the “National Broadcasting Commission.”
The NBC argued that the judgment raises issues of major public importance. It said the ruling affects its legal powers to regulate broadcasting and enforce the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
The Commission warned that leaving the judgment unchallenged could create uncertainty over its regulatory authority. It also argued that weaker oversight could encourage broadcasters to ignore standards and increase the spread of false, misleading and unverified information capable of causing panic and social unrest.
The NBC claimed poor regulation could encourage irresponsible broadcasting and the misuse of broadcast and digital media platforms to spread sensational or inflammatory content that could intimidate people and influence public debate.
The Commission said it instructed its lawyers to appeal the judgment immediately after it was delivered on January 10, 2024. It added that the first appeal was filed on March 18, 2024, within the time allowed by law.
The NBC said the appeal failed because its lawyer mistakenly used the name “Nigerian Broadcasting Commission” instead of its statutory name, “National Broadcasting Commission.”
The Commission also asked the Court of Appeal for permission to raise a fresh issue on whether Media Rights Agenda had the legal capacity to file the original suit before the Federal High Court.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the application.
External Links
Media Rights Agenda: https://mediarightsagenda.org
National Broadcasting Commission: https://nbc.gov.ng
National Judicial Council (Federal Courts information): https://njc.gov.ng
