Following the N5 million fine slammed on Trust TV over a documentary titled “Nigeria’s Banditry: The Inside Story”, the television station has replied the The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) that it acted in public interest.
NBC had said the fine was imposed on Trust TV because the broadcast of the said documentary contravened sections of the National Broadcasting Code.
In a statement, the management of Media Trust Group said “As a television station, we believe we were acting in the public interest by shedding light on the thorny issue of banditry and how it is affecting millions of citizens of our country.”
The management said it was studying the commission’s action and weighing our options.
“The documentary traces the root of the communal tensions and systemic inadequacies, which led to the armed conflict that is setting the stage for another grand humanitarian crisis in Nigeria.
“It presents insights into the intersection of injustice, ethnicity and bad governance as drivers of the conflict.
“It also aggregates voices of experts and key actors towards finding solutions, including those of the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Senator Saidu Mohammed Dansadau, who hails from one of the worst hit communities in Zamfara State.”
The statement added that other experts who featured in the documentary include scholars like Professor Abubakar Saddique of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and Dr. Murtala Ahmed Rufai of the Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto, who have both studied the subject of banditry for a long period. The documentary also brought to the fore the horrifying stories of victims of banditry.
