Human rights watchdog Amnesty International has strongly condemned the recent decision by Nigeria’s National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to ban Eedris Abdulkareem’s latest protest track Tell Your Papa, calling the move a “clear violation” of citizens’ freedom of expression and access to information.
In a press release issued Thursday, Amnesty International described the ban as “unlawful, arbitrary, and deeply worrying,” accusing the government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of displaying growing intolerance toward dissent.
“The National Broadcasting Commission’s blatant ban of broadcasting Eedris Abdulkareem’s song Tell Your Papa is a clear violation of freedom of expression, which includes the right to obtain information,” the group stated.
The controversial song, Tell Your Papa, directly criticises the Nigerian government and highlights the economic and social hardship affecting millions. Citing the Nigerian Broadcasting Code, the NBC classified the song as “Not To Be Broadcast.” However, Amnesty argues that this justification lacks legal or moral merit.
“Categorizing the song as ‘Not To Be Broadcast’ solely for being critical of the government and people in power is an abuse of power and is unacceptable,” Amnesty International said.
Amnesty further warned that this action not only violates Nigeria’s constitutional guarantees but also goes against international human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The organisation urged President Tinubu to direct the NBC to immediately withdraw the ban, citing the growing pattern of repression against artists and media practitioners.
“This clampdown on artistic freedom is an appalling reminder that artists are at the risk of being silenced. Nothing can justify suffocating creativity.”
Amnesty stressed the need for urgent reform of the NBC’s regulatory framework, which it described as a tool often used to “curb dissent and muzzle the press.”
“Citing the deeply flawed and problematic Nigerian Broadcasting Code to justify the ban shows a new level of intolerance of dissenting voices.”
The human rights group cautioned that if the ban is not reversed, it could set a dangerous precedent for broader government censorship and generate fear across Nigeria’s creative and media landscape.
“It is not too late for President Bola Tinubu’s government to withdraw the ban which will have the sad repercussion of promoting censorship and generating a new wave of fear of repression,” the statement concluded.
As of the time of this report, NBC has not issued a response, and President Tinubu has yet to make a public comment on the matter.
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