Nigeria ALELRT: Radio Station shut down

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) on May 7, 2003, shut down Jeremy FM, a private radio station in Adeje village near Warri, Delta State.

The commission accused the station of contravening rules guiding broadcast of election results in the country. NBC ordered the station closed following its broadcast of uncertified results of the April 19, presidential and gubernatorial elections, which credited Chief Great Ogboru, the opposition Alliance for Democracy (AD) party candidate with victory in the Delta state gubernatorial election.

Following the announcement on April 19, police personnel immediately besieged the station and arrested the continuity announcer on duty, Esther Ofuegbe, along with five persons. The following week, on April 28, Ms. Ofuegbe was arraigned before a magistrate court in Warri for the announcement, which turned out to be contrary to the result that was later published by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC).

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