By Adebisi Onanuga

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (PTCIJ) have filed a suit before a Federal High Court in Abuja against President Muhammadu Buhari and Minister of Information and Culture, Mr. Lai Mohammed, over the “gag order on reporting of terrorist attacks”.

In the suit, filed on behalf of their lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Opeyemi Owolabi, both organisations are asking the court to declare illegal the gag order stopping journalists and broadcast stations from reporting details of terrorist attacks and victims, as the order violates media freedom, and Nigerians’ freedom of expression and access to information.

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) is joined in the suit as co-defendant.

The suit followed NBC’s directive asking journalists, television and radio stations in Nigeria to stop “glamourising and giving too many details on the nefarious activities of terrorists and kidnappers” during their daily newspaper reviews.

Read Also; NBC bars TV, radio stations from reporting ‘details’ of insurgent, bandit attacks

In the suit filed last Friday, SERAP and PTCIJ are seeking “an order of perpetual injunction restraining the government of President Buhari, the NBC, and Mr. Lai Mohammed or any other persons from imposing fines or other sanctions on broadcast stations for carrying out their constitutional duties of reporting details of terrorist attacks and victims during daily newspaper reviews,” among others.

Both organisations argued that “the failure by the government of President Buhari to direct the NBC to withdraw its directive on reporting of terrorist attacks and victims violates sections 5[a] and [b], 147 and 148 of the Nigerian Constitution, Code of Conduct for Public Officers [Fifth Schedule Part 1], and Oath of office [Seventh Schedule] of the Constitution”.

The suit reads: “The NBC and Mr. Lai Mohammed lack the power and authority to restrict the ability of journalists and broadcast stations to carry out their constitutional duties and to unlawfully impose penalty such as fines and other sanctions on any journalists and broadcast stations for reporting on details of terrorist attacks and victims in the country.

“SERAP and PTCIJ together with several millions of Nigerians easily access information, news and form opinions on government policies through the daily newspaper reviews by journalists and broadcast stations in Nigeria…”

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the application for interim injunction, and the substantive suit.