BREAKING: NBC Suffers Second Major Court Defeat as Appeal Against Landmark Fines Judgment Collapses

BREAKING: NBC Suffers Second Major Court Defeat as Appeal Against Landmark Fines Judgment Collapses

By our reporter 

***





​ABUJA — The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has suffered a humiliating legal setback after the Court of Appeal threw out its latest attempt to salvage its power to fine broadcast stations.

​In a decisive ruling delivered yesterday, Justice Inyang struck out the NBC’s appeal, declaring it fundamentally defective, dead on arrival, and legally nonexistent.

​The decision marks a massive victory for Media Rights Agenda (MRA), represented in court by Mr. P.Y. Danladi, and effectively leaves standing a landmark judgment that strips the government regulator of its ability to impose arbitrary fines.

​"No Appeal in Fact and in Law"

​Justice Inyang did not mince words when dismantling the NBC's legal strategy. The court found that the NBC had blundered the foundational paperwork, failing to initiate the appeal under the exact same legal entity that participated in the lower court trials.

​"The Notice of Appeal is the foundation or substratum of an appeal," Justice Inyang stressed, noting that a competent notice is an absolute requirement before the court can even look at a case.

​Because the NBC messed up this vital step, the court ruled it lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter. Justice Inyang made it clear that no amount of participation, waiver, or consent by the parties could fix a foundation that was completely rotten from the start.

​“The Notice of Appeal and the accompanying briefs are fundamentally defective and do not and cannot confer jurisdiction on this Court to hear and determine the appeal," the Justice ruled, officially striking it out for incompetence.

​The Background: Why This is a Massive Win for Free Speech

​This isn't just a technicality; it's the continuation of a historic losing streak for the NBC regarding its regulatory overreach.

​The battle traces back to May 10, 2023, when Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court delivered a groundbreaking judgment. He ruled that fines are criminal sanctions, and under Nigerian law, only courts of law—not government regulatory agencies—have the power to impose sanctions for criminal offences.

​The NBC tried desperately to fight back:

​July 2023: NBC filed a motion to set aside the judgment. Dismissed by the judge in November 2023.

​April 2, 2026: The Court of Appeal dismissed an earlier appeal by the NBC trying to overturn the Omotosho ruling.

​Yesterday: The NBC's latest legal vehicle has been completely wiped off the court's docket.

​What This Means Going Forward

​With this second appeal struck down, the legal precedent is stronger than ever: the NBC cannot act as accuser, judge, and jury.

​For media houses, journalists, and freedom of expression advocates across Nigeria, the ruling cements a massive shield against regulatory bullying and arbitrary financial penalties. The foundational ruling stands: if the NBC wants to punish a station, they have to prove their case in a court of law just like everyone else.

​#PressFreedom #FreeSpeechNigeria #CourtOfAppeal #MediaRights #NBCFines #BreakingNews

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