African Independent Television (AIT) has shut down its operations over the revoke of its broadcast license by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
The NBC had on Thursday evening revoked the broadcast license of Daar Communications, operator of the aforementioned television station and a radio station, Ray Power FM.
This is coming hours after the owner of the broadcast firms, Raymond Dokpesi, led a protest against the NBC and the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
During a press conference after the protest, the broadcaster accused the government of going after the media after clamping down on the legislative and the judiciary.
“Any criticism of this government is hate speech. The NBC is acting under the authority of the President and Commander-in-Chief,” Mr Dokpesi said.
The broadcast stations are accused of disseminating unedited user-generated contents from the social media which are against the government.
The broadcast commission is also accusing the stations of failing to abide by the commission’s directives after being summoned severally and violations of the provisions of the NBC Act Cap N11 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria and the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
While shutting down operations, the operator of the broadcast stations vowed to seek legal redress and return on air in no distant time.
A source at one of the broadcast station told POLITICS TIMES that armed security operatives has taken over the premises of the stations to enforce compliance of the NBC order.
