The National Broadcasting Commission has fined Channels Television, Arise Television and Africa Independent Television for what it termed “unprofessional coverage” of the #EndSARS protests.
The acting Director- General of the NBC, Prof. Armstrong Idachaba, announced this at a press conference in Abuja on Monday.
The NBC had last week warned all television and radio stations against reporting the # EndSARS protests in a manner that could embarrass the government or private individuals or cause disaffection, incite to panic or rift in the society.
Young persons across the country had hit the streets to demand a reform of the police as a result of excesses, particularly by the special anti-robbery squad (SARS).
Following the protests, Mohammed Adamu, inspector-general of police, disbanded SARS while the federal government promised to accede to the demands of the protesters, appealing to them to leave the streets.
But the protests continued until soldiers opened fire on the protesters at Lekki tollgate in Lagos State, killing about 12 protesters while several sustained bullets injuries.
In the same vein, Warehouses containing COVID-19 palliatives have been raided in at least seven states, including Lagos where the looting began last week.
The palliatives were donated by CACOVID, a private-sector driven coalition set up to support the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some Nigerians accused state governors of hoarding the supplies in an attempt to divert them.
But the states have denied the allegation. Some governors said they were storing the palliatives in case of a second wave of the coronavirus while others said they had started distributing them before they were looted.
However, President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the looting of food items in warehouses across the country by Nigerians.
He said, “Families must turn back children who bring home unaccounted goods , in the same way wives must ask their husbands to return looted items brought home.