The National Media Complaints Commission (NMCC), otherwise known as the Ombudsman, has received a formal complaint from the Federal Government against the Daily Trust newspaper, which it alleged published an article on July 4, 2024 “containing false and misleading information that severely threatens national security”.
In a statement signed by The NMCC Chairman, Eluem Emeka Izeze, and the Interim Secretary, Feyi Smith, it was noted that the complaint filed by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, on behalf of Information Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, the Government alleged that the article published by Daily Trust is false and misleading.
The statement reads in part that “on July 4, 2024, the newspaper published on its front page a news item titled “LGBT: Nigeria Signs $150 Billion Samoa Deal,” in which it reported that the Government had endorsed a European Union (EU) partnership agreement (referred to as the “Samoa Agreement”) with member states of the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS), despite some conditional clauses that compel benefiting nations to support the agitations by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) community for recognition.
“The Government described the report as “false and misleading” and said that as a result of the alleged false report, “individuals and government officials have been subjected to hate speech, threats, intimidation, and cyberbullying across social media.”
The NMCC acknowledged that it has been asked to intervene in the matter and, among other thing “carry out a thorough investigation of the alleged misleading publication; Direct the newspaper’s management to publicly retract and correct the alleged false information, with equal prominence as the original article;
“Direct the newspaper’s management to issue an unequivocal apology for allegedly recklessly disseminating false information; and Implement stricter editorial guidelines to prevent a repeat of such alleged unwholesome report by any newspaper in the future.”
The NMCC thereafter noted that it will conduct detailed investigation in accordance with its mandate.
“As an independent media regulatory body, it is our duty to promote media adherence to the highest standards of professionalism and ethical conduct, as well as ensure that the media operate in a free and unfettered environment.
“In accordance with this mandate and our established procedures, we have commenced an investigation into the government’s allegations. We assure the public that our inquiry will be thorough and impartial. We look forward to receiving the full cooperation of all parties involved and pledge to continue to ensure transparency throughout this process,” the statement added.