Nigeria's broadcasting authority shut down private radio and television stations owned by a key opposition figure who hours earlier said his media operations were being targeted in a crackdown.
The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) said on Thursday it suspended the license of Daar Communications Plc, owner of the African Independent Television (AIT) and RayPower FM for breach of broadcast codes.
NBC said in a statement it summoned the management of the stations to address alleged bias in their broadcasts and for failing to meet financial obligations to the regulatory authority.
The statement alleged the media organisations had "embarked on use of inflammatory, divisive, inciting broadcasts and media propaganda against the government and the NBC for performing its statutory functions of regulating the broadcast industry in Nigeria".
'Until further notice'
NBC said it made the license suspensions of AIT and RayPower FM "for failure to abide by the commission's directives and the provisions of the law".
"The shut down order is until further notice," the statement said.
The two broadcast stations are owned by business tycoon Raymond Dokpesi, who is also a key member of opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP).
Dokpesi earlier on Thursday accused NBC of intimidating his media empire on the instruction of the Nigerian presidency.
"We are on a road previously travelled. A media and press clampdown is in the offing," Dokpesi said hours before the suspension of his licence at a news conference.
Dokpesi established RayPower FM as a pioneering private radio in 1994 and AIT in 1998.
Reporters Without Borders places Nigeria 119th out of 180 on its World Press Freedom Index.
The media watchdog said journalists are often threatened, subjected to physical violence, or denied access to information by government officials, police, and sometimes the public itself.
Al Jazeera
Friday, June 7, 2019
Thursday, June 6, 2019
Video - Lead poisoning from gold mines putting children at risk in Nigeria
Lead used in northwest Nigeria's gold mines is threatening the lives of thousands of children there, according to health officials. Hundreds died since the first case was reported nearly a decade ago. And a rise in violent attacks by armed gangs and kidnappers is hampering efforts to help them.
Wednesday, June 5, 2019
Video - Children used to fight Boko Haram struggle with trauma
The United Nations and human rights activists have accused both Boko Haram and groups fighting it, of putting children in harm's way. But now, hundreds of former child vigilantes, who had been fighting against the armed group in northeastern Nigeria, are learning skills to help them reintegrate into their communities. Many have returned to school or are learning employment skills. Kaumi Kolo is one of them.
Nigerian Tijjani Muhammad-Bande elected president of United Nations General Assembly
He was elected in an unopposed vote on Tuesday (June 4) to serve the one-year role. The election of the President of the 74th session of the General Assembly took place in the General Assembly Hall at the United Nations Headquarters, in New York.
He becomes the 74th holder of the position taking over from Ecuardorian María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés whose tenure ended with Muhammad-Bande’s election.
Going by established principle of geographical rotation and relevant UN resolutions, the Presidency of the 74th session had reached the trun of Africa, hence Mohammad-Bande’s election was widely expected.
The immediate past president – the fourth woman to be elected to the post in the history of the world body – took office on 5 June 2018. She was also the first since woman 2006.
Having been formally nominated by the Nigerian government for the position, the then nominee went through informal interactive dialogues with the view to increasing the transparency and inclusivity of the process. The dialogue took place on 13 May 2019, at UNHQ, New York.
The last time Africa held the presidency was in 2014/2015 when Uganda’s Sam Kahamba Kutesa led the 69th session. Aside the normal sessions, the UNGA also calls for special and emergency special sessions that usually have different presidents.
About the Ordinary Sessions and its president
The General Assembly meets annually in regular session, intensively from September to December, and resumes in January until all issues on the agenda are addressed – which often is just before the next session starts.
Since the 60th session in 2005, the President-elect of the General Assembly suggests a theme of global concern for the upcoming general debate, based on informal discussions with Member States, the President of the current session of the General Assembly, and the Secretary-General.
Shortly after his/her election, the President-elect sends a letter to all Member States announcing the theme for the upcoming general debate and inviting them to focus their speeches on the proposed theme.
About the UNGA
The General Assembly is one of the six main organs of the United Nations, the only one in which all Member States have equal representation: one nation, one vote.
All 193 Member States of the United Nations are represented in this unique forum to discuss and work together on a wide array of international issues covered by the UN Charter, such as development, peace and security, international law, etc.
In September, all the Members meet in the General Assembly Hall in New York for the annual General Assembly session.
Africa News
Sani Abacha's £210m of loot seized in American account
More than $267m (£210m) belonging to a former Nigerian dictator has been seized from a Jersey bank account.
The money was "derived through corruption" during the presidency of Sani Abacha in the 1990s, according to Jersey's Civil Asset Recovery Fund.
A shell company called Doraville held the funds, which were frozen in 2014.
After a five-year legal wrangle, the money has now been recovered and will be split between Jersey, the United States and Nigeria.
Jersey's attorney general, Robert McRae QC, said the seizure "demonstrated [Jersey's] commitment to tackling international financial crime and money laundering".
Mr Abacha was in power from 1993 until his death in 1998.
It is not yet clear how much money will be kept by each government.
Jersey's Law Officers Department declined to comment on the final distribution of the funds because it could "prejudice ongoing discussions".
Jersey's government said it had approached the US in 2007 to request legal proceedings begin in US courts over the laundered funds.
The US Department of Justice itself has forfeited millions of dollars of money back to Nigeria, ruling Mr Abacha and associates laundered funds through the US banking industry.
Following an "extensive" collection of evidence in a variety of international jurisdictions, the funds were frozen by the Royal Court in 2014 and finally paid into the Civil Asset Recovery Fund on 31 May.
The money is just a fraction of the billions of dollars that were allegedly stolen and laundered during the presidency of Mr Abacha.
Swiss authorities last year returned $300m (£228m) to the Nigerian government, after it was found to have been stolen from public funds.
That money is being paid back to 300,000 Nigerian households over the next six years.
A spokesman for Jersey's Law Officers Department said it had faced "challenges and appeals" all the way to Jersey's highest court, as well as "separate proceedings" by a third party in US court.
BBC
The money was "derived through corruption" during the presidency of Sani Abacha in the 1990s, according to Jersey's Civil Asset Recovery Fund.
A shell company called Doraville held the funds, which were frozen in 2014.
After a five-year legal wrangle, the money has now been recovered and will be split between Jersey, the United States and Nigeria.
Jersey's attorney general, Robert McRae QC, said the seizure "demonstrated [Jersey's] commitment to tackling international financial crime and money laundering".
Mr Abacha was in power from 1993 until his death in 1998.
It is not yet clear how much money will be kept by each government.
Jersey's Law Officers Department declined to comment on the final distribution of the funds because it could "prejudice ongoing discussions".
Jersey's government said it had approached the US in 2007 to request legal proceedings begin in US courts over the laundered funds.
The US Department of Justice itself has forfeited millions of dollars of money back to Nigeria, ruling Mr Abacha and associates laundered funds through the US banking industry.
Following an "extensive" collection of evidence in a variety of international jurisdictions, the funds were frozen by the Royal Court in 2014 and finally paid into the Civil Asset Recovery Fund on 31 May.
The money is just a fraction of the billions of dollars that were allegedly stolen and laundered during the presidency of Mr Abacha.
Swiss authorities last year returned $300m (£228m) to the Nigerian government, after it was found to have been stolen from public funds.
That money is being paid back to 300,000 Nigerian households over the next six years.
A spokesman for Jersey's Law Officers Department said it had faced "challenges and appeals" all the way to Jersey's highest court, as well as "separate proceedings" by a third party in US court.
BBC
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