The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has asked the Court of Appeal in Abuja for permission to refile an appeal against a Federal High Court judgment that restrained it from imposing fines on broadcast stations.
The application comes after the appellate court struck out the regulator’s initial appeal on June 17, 2026, citing a “fundamentally defective” notice of appeal.
In its latest application filed by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dapo Akinosun, the NBC is seeking an extension of time to challenge the judgment delivered by Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia in a suit brought by the Media Rights Agenda (MRA).
The Commission is also asking the Court of Appeal for leave to raise a fresh issue questioning MRA’s legal capacity to institute and maintain the original suit.
The legal clash stems from 2022, when the NBC slapped ₦5 million fines each on MultiChoice Nigeria Limited (DStv), TelCom Satellite Limited (TSTV), Trust-TV Network Limited, and NTA Startimes Limited.
The sanctions were imposed after the broadcasters aired documentaries on banditry and insecurity in Zamfara State, which the regulator claimed undermined national security.
However, Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia ruled that the NBC acted unlawfully and unconstitutionally, declaring that the Commission lacks the powers of a court of law to impose punitive fines. The judge subsequently issued an order restraining the NBC from penalizing broadcast stations under the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
The NBC’s attempt to overturn that judgment hit a wall on June 17, when a panel led by Justice Jane Inyang struck out the appeal. The court held that describing the appellant as the “Nigerian Broadcasting Commission” instead of the “National Broadcasting Commission” was a fundamental defect that stripped the court of jurisdiction.
In its fresh filing, the NBC described the misdescription as an inadvertent mistake by its legal counsel and noted that its original appeal was filed within the allowed timeframe.
Arguing that the appeal touches on matters of public interest, the NBC warned that leaving the High Court judgment unchallenged would create regulatory uncertainty and cripple its mandate.
The Commission argued that losing its power to enforce compliance could weaken the broadcasting framework, encouraging non-compliance and increasing the spread of false, unverified, or misleading information capable of causing public anxiety and social unrest.
The court has yet to fix a date to hear the application.
This development marks the latest chapter in the regulator’s running legal tussle over its sanctioning powers. In April 2026, the Court of Appeal dismissed a separate NBC appeal challenging a 2023 Federal High Court ruling that similarly barred the Commission from imposing fines on broadcasters.
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