Court To Hear Broadcast Media Owners Association, Arewa 24TV Suit

The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Omotosho, is scheduled to hear a case today, Wednesday, involving the Northern Broadcast Media Owners Association (NBMOA) Board of Trustees (BOT) against Network Arewa24 Limited, operators of the Arewa24 TV channel.

The NBMOA alleges that Arewa24 operates illegally in Nigeria without the necessary licences.

The lawsuit also includes several other defendants, including the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), MultiChoice Nigeria, and StarTimes Nigeria.

The NBMOA Board of Trustees chairman, Alhaji (Dr) Ahmed Tijjani Ramalan, emphasised the association’s commitment to maintaining lawful broadcasting standards.

He stated: “Our objective is to ensure a fair, regulated media environment, in line with established broadcasting standards while maintaining a commitment to the rule of law.”

Recall that the NBMOA initiated this legal action in November 2024, expressing concerns that Arewa24 and the other defendants’ unlicensed broadcasting activities threaten Nigeria’s established legal and competitive media landscape, adversely affecting media owners and audiences nationwide.