Amnesty International in Nigeria strongly criticized the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for banning the broadcast of Eedris Abdulkareem’s song “Tell Your Dad”, saying it was a clear violation of freedom of speech and the right of public access to information.
In a statement shared through its official Facebook page, human rights groups described NBC’s classification of songs as “don’t broadcast” because its key position on the government is the position of abuse of regulatory power.
Amnesty International calls on President Bola Tinubu to intervene by instructing NBC to lift the ban immediately. The organization stressed that criticism of public officials or ruling personnel should not be the basis of democratic social censorship.
“The people of Nigeria have the right to freedom of speech,” the statement said. “There is no legal reason to ban songs simply because it expresses objections. Using the Nigerian broadcast code (which Amnesty International Code says is flawed), it is a tool of silence and key voices, which is unacceptable.”
The group warned that NBC’s actions reflect an increasing intolerance of dissent in Nigeria, a censorship that undermines media freedom and kills artistic creativity. It also believes that the ban is incompatible with the constitutional right to access information and urges the government to repeal excessive scrutiny regulations.
In addition, Amnesty International noted that the ban violates Nigeria’s obligations under international law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter for Human and People’s Rights, which guarantee freedom of expression.
The group urged the Tinubu government to act quickly to reverse the ban to avoid deepening the atmosphere of fear and repression in the country.
The development comes after the 48-hour final tear released by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), requiring the Nigerian government and NBC to revoke the ban on songs against Abdulkareem or face legal action.
