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Security Agents
Raid TV Station, Stop Programme Broadcast, Seize Master Tape
Agents of the State Security Service (SSS), Nigeria's intelligence
service, on 14 May 2006 raided the Abuja office of Daar Communications
Limited, owners of Ray Power FM radio and the Africa Independent
Television (AIT) and seized the master tape of a documentary tracing
failed attempts by previous Nigerian leaders to perpetuate themselves in
office.
On arrival at the premises, the security men halted further transmission
of the documentary on elongation of the tenure of the President, Olusegun
Obasanjo, and seized the master tape for the documentary.
Chairman of Daar Communications, Raymond Dokpesi, who confirmed the raid
and seizure, said: "They came and said we should discontinue the
documentary on tenure elongation. They demanded for one of the master
tapes and we gave them one."
He said the plainclothes agents who raided the office claimed to have come
from the Presidency.
Dokpesi said he would lodge a formal protest on the matter to the National
Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the regulatory authority for broadcasting
in Nigeria.
The 30-minute documentary, which was stopped by the security agents is an
advertorial that documents attempts by various Nigerian heads of state to
elongate their tenure in office in the past and how they all failed.
Nigeria's National Assembly is currently engaged in a debate of a
controversial proposal to amend the 1999 Constitution by, among other
things, extending the tenure of the President and state governors by a
further four years. Under the present constitution, the President is due
to leave office in May 2007, having served two terms of four years each
On 9 May 2006, Senator Uche Chukwumerije, a senator in Nigeria’s upper
legislative chambers, the Senate, had alleged that the Presidency had
revoked the Network Licence of Africa Independent Television (AIT) and had
also issued it a 21-day ultimatum to vacate its Asokoro office in Abuja.
But Dr. Silas Babajiya Yisa, Director General of the NBC, Nigeria’s
broadcast media regulator on May 10 came out to vehemently deny that the
Commission had revoked AIT’s licence. He said AIT had not done anything
unethical to warrant is closure.
Senator Chukwumerije, who is the Leader of the 2007 Movement, an anti
tenure elongation group in the National Assembly said the presidency
action was part of its efforts to frustrate the ongoing debate in the
senate over extension of Chief Obasanjos’s term as President.
He said among other things: “The government is annoyed that AIT has not
blocked out anti-third term views and reduced itself to a government
propaganda outfit. The Presidency is angry that AIT covers live the Senate
debates on the general principles of the Bill to amend the 1999
Constitution.
“For this sin, government has cancelled the Network Licence of AIT and
given the media organization a 21-day ultimatum to dismantle its
transmitters and relocate its operational base from Asokoro Hill. It is
clear that these anti-AIT actions violate Section 39 of the Constitution.”
AIT is the most widespread private television station in Nigeria with its
signals received in at least six states and the FCT. It also transmits
through direct satellite to Europe and North America.
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