Channels TV Suspended Over IPOB |The Source

By Adesina Soyooye

For speaking with the Indigenous Peoples Of Biafra, IPOB, the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, has suspended Channels TV.

Channels had, during one of their interview segments on Sunday, April 25, spoken with Mr Emma Powerful, IPOB’s Spokesperson.

The interview followed recent worsening insecurity in the South- east, especially  in Imo State which have culminated in, among other violent incidents, the razing of the country home of Governor Hope Uzodinma, and the killing, by Security Agents, of IPOB South-east’s Commander of its Security outfit, Eastern Security Network, ESN.

Mr Powerful had, during the interview, taunted Security Agents for the killing of their Commander, saying IPOB had appointed another Commander.

Suspending the TV station in a letter to its Managing Director, NBC Ag Chairman, Professor Armstrong Idachaba, said Channels broke the Broadcasting Code by granting airtime to a pro-secessionist group which has, since been proscribed by the Federal Govrnment. The NBC, also, fined Channels to the tune of N5 million.

This will be the second time, in months the TV station will be suspended and fined by the NBC.

Along with Arise TV, AIT, and a couple of Print Media Houses, Channels was suspended over its live broadcast of the violent #EndSARS protests.

In the instant case, not a  few people ask why Channels was penalized for talking with an IPOB official.

IPOB has constantly denied any violence and/or killings associated with its operations.