SERAP sues NBC over ban on Eedris Abdulkareem’s ‘Tell Your Papa’

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) over the ban on Eedris Abdulkareem’s song ‘Tell Your Papa’.

The song, which was released on April 7, addresses the economic hardship being faced by many Nigerians. It also takes a swipe at President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies.

The NBC, on April 10, barred radio and television stations from airing the song, describing it as “objectionable”.

In the suit marked FHC/L/CS/797/2025 filed on April 17 at a federal high court, in Lagos, the rights group prayed the court to set aside the “arbitrary and illegal ban on Eedris’ song ‘Tell Your Papa’”.

SERQP argued that the action by the broadcast regulator is inconsistent with Nigerians’ rights to freedom of expression, access to information, and media freedom.

The organisation is also seeking a perpetual injunction to restrain NBC or any other authority or individual from preventing the broadcast of ‘Tell Your Papa’ on radio, television, or any other media platform across the country.

“The NBC is censoring music under the guise of ‘protecting public decency,” SERAP said.

“Public decency is not a carte blanche for banning Eedris’ song and placing a chokehold on information and suppressing peaceful dissent.

“Freedom of expression constitutes one of the essential foundations of a democratic society and extends not only to information or ideas that are favourably received, but also to those that offend, shock or disturb in such domains as political discourse and commentary on public affairs.

“The ban on Eedris’ song has a chilling effect on freedom of expression, access to information and media freedom.”

The organisation said the NBC “has not shown that the song would impose a specific risk of harm to a legitimate state interest that outweighs the public interest in the information provided by the song”.

SERAP lawyers — Kolawole Oluwadare, Oluwakemi Agunbiade, and Valentina Adegoke — averred that “the ban on Eedris’ song fails to meet the requirements of legality, necessity, and proportionality”.

“The vitality of artistic creativity is necessary for the functioning of democratic societies,” SERAP said. “Banning or removing creative expressions from public access is a way to restrict artistic freedom,” they said.

The group added the action by the NBC “violates section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution as well as Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and Articles 19(1), (2), and (3) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights”.

While acknowledging that some limitations on media freedom may be permitted in the interest of national security or public health, SERAP stressed that such restrictions must be “legal, necessary, and proportionate”.

“Article 19(2) of the Covenant includes the right to seek, receive, and impart information in the form of art,” it stated.

“Censorship of artistic works causes serious social and economic losses, deprives artists of their livelihood, and stifles public discourse.”

No date has been set for the hearing of the suit.

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