#EndSARS: Court Adjourns Suit On Attacks On Media Freedom, As SERAP Seeks Probe Of False Posting

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked the Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Lai Mohammed “to probe false posting on the Ministry’s official Twitter handle of court proceedings in a lawsuit against him and the National Broadcasting Commission [NBC], asking the court to declare arbitrary, illegal, and unconstitutional the N9m fines imposed on Channels TV, AIT and Arise TV over their coverage of the #EndSARS protests, and to stop the NBC from collecting the money.”

According to SERAP: “The Ministry of Information and Culture had after the court hearing last Friday posted on its Twitter handle a story falsely claiming that the suit had been dismissed. But contrary to the report, the suit, which came up for hearing at the Federal High Court [Court 10] Abuja, was adjourned to Wednesday, 10 March 2021 for the hearing of SERAP’s originating summons and the preliminary objections filed by the NBC and its Director-General.”

In a statement today by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said: “While there is a legitimate public interest in informing the public about court proceedings, any such reporting ought to accurately reflect the proceedings. It’s deeply disappointing that the Ministry, which is yet to file any court process in response to the suit, posted and promoted on its Twitter handle a story claiming that the suit against it and the NBC had been struck out.”

http://worldtopnewsng.com/endsars-court-adjourns-suit-on-attacks-on-media-freedom-as-serap-seeks-probe-of-false-posting/