Zamfara government has withdrawn its order shutting down the NTA, Pride FM, and three other private broadcast media organisations in the state.
The other media organisations shut down by the government included Gamji TV, Gamji FM, and Al-umma TV.
The Chairman of the Zamfara State Committee on Prosecution of Banditry and Related Offences, Abdullahi Shinkafi, however, apologised to the media while addressing a press conference in Gusau on Monday.
Shinkafi said the government was angered by the alleged violation of Executive Order No.10, 2022, which came into effect on October 13.
Shinkafi said that the affected media organisations violated the Order by covering an alleged “illegal political activity” of the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic party, Dauda Lawal-Dare, in Gusau on Saturday.
He said the “illegal political gathering” led to a security breach by some youths of the two political parties.
“The police had confirmed that one man was shot dead and 18 others injured during the event,” Shinkafi said.
Shinkafi said that the government’s action of shutting down the media houses attracted unprecedented reactions and criticisms from various organisations and agencies.
Broadcast media regulators such as the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission, the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, the Nigeria Union of Journalists, and the International Press Institute, among others, condemned the government for its action and called for immediate reversal.
Shinkafi, however, insisted that Matawalle’s action was guided by the powers vested in him as enshrined in relevant sections of the Constitution of the Federal Republic.
According to him, the government has since withdrawn the order given to the Commissioner of Police to arrest and prosecute personnel seen around the affected media organisations.
Shinkafi said the government has also withdrawn the security forces deployed to the media houses to allow the personnel resume their work.
He urged the media organisations and all journalists to respect the state laws and support the government in its effort to tackle banditry and kidnapping in parts of the state.
(NAN)
