By Ayobami Owolabi
ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – Amnesty International has denounced Nigeria’s National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for banning Nigerian rapper, Eedris Abdulkareem’s new protest song, ‘Tell Your Papa’, calling it a direct infringement on the right to freedom of expression and access to information.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the organisation described the ban as “unlawful, arbitrary, and deeply concerning,” highlighting it as part of a growing trend of government censorship under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“The National Broadcasting Commission’s blatant ban of broadcasting Eedris Abdulkareem’s song ‘Tell Your Papa’ is a clear violation of freedom of expression, which includes the right to obtain information,” Amnesty stated.
The NBC classified the song, which critiques government policies and addresses social and economic issues, as “Not To Be Broadcast,” referring to sections of the Nigerian Broadcasting Code.
However, Amnesty rejected the basis of the ban, asserting that it was both legally and morally unjustifiable. “Categorising the song as ‘Not To Be Broadcast’ for solely being critical of the government and people in power is an abuse of power and is unacceptable,” the organisation declared, stressing that the action contradicted the rights to media freedom and information access in Nigeria.
Amnesty called on President Tinubu to take immediate action to reverse the ban, urging him to “direct the NBC to withdraw the bizarre ban which violates a range of human rights.”
The group also warned of the broader implications such actions could have on artists and media outlets, as well as the country’s commitment to free expression. “The arbitrary and unlawful ban by the NBC would have a disproportionate and chilling effect on the work of radio and television stations in Nigeria. This clampdown on artistic freedom is an appalling reminder that artists are at the risk of being silenced. Nothing can justify suffocating creativity,” the statement read.
Amnesty also pointed out that the NBC’s actions contradicted Nigeria’s international obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, both of which protect freedom of expression and artistic liberty.
“The use of the deeply flawed Nigerian Broadcasting Code to justify the ban reveals an alarming level of intolerance for dissenting voices,” the organisation said.
The group reiterated its call for urgent reforms to the NBC’s regulatory framework, arguing that it has long been used to stifle free expression. “The ban highlights the urgent need to repeal the heavy censorship regulations of NBC that have long curtailed freedom of expression in the country,” Amnesty added.
Concluding its statement, Amnesty cautioned that if the ban were not reversed, it could establish a dangerous precedent for increased censorship in Nigeria. “It is not too late for President Bola Tinubu’s government to withdraw the ban, which would otherwise promote censorship and create a new wave of fear of repression,” the organisation concluded.
As of the time of writing, neither the NBC nor President Tinubu had responded publicly to Amnesty International’s statement.
