President Buhari, NBC Stopped From Revoking Licenses Of 53 Broadcast Stations

President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) have been stopped by a Federal High Court in Lagos from revoking the licenses of 53 broadcast stations in the country.

The court order was given on Monday and the stations were set to have their licenses revoked over failure to renew them.

Giving the order, Justice granted an order of interim injunction following the hearing of an argument on motion exparte by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE).

Last week, SERAP and NGE filed a lawsuit against President Buhari and NBC, calling on the court for “a declaration that section 10(a) of the Third Schedule to the NBC Act used by NBC to threaten to revoke the licenses of 53 broadcast stations and to shut down the stations is unconstitutional and unlawful, as it violates freedom of expression.”

The court had been asked in the suit for "an order of interim injunction restraining Buhari and NBC, their agents from revoking the licenses of 53 broadcast stations in the country and shutting their down operations, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed contemporaneously in this suit."

The case has been adjourned to September 8, 2022, for the hearing of the Motion on Notice for interlocutory injunction.