Amnesty International Nigeria has strongly criticized the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for banning the broadcast of Eedris Abdulkareem’s song “Tell Your Papa,” calling it a clear violation of freedom of expression and the public’s right to access information.
In a statement shared via its official Facebook page, the human rights organization described NBC’s classification of the song as “Not To Be Broadcast” due to its critical stance against the government as an abuse of regulatory power.
Amnesty International called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene by directing NBC to lift the ban immediately. The group emphasized that criticism of public officials or those in power should not be a basis for censorship in a democratic society.
“The Nigerian people have the right to freedom of expression,” the statement read. “There is no legal justification for banning a song simply because it expresses dissent. The use of the Nigerian Broadcasting Code—a code Amnesty says is deeply flawed—as a tool for silencing critical voices is unacceptable.”
The organization warned that the NBC’s actions reflect growing intolerance for dissent in Nigeria, and that such censorship undermines media freedom and stifles artistic creativity. It also argued that the ban is incompatible with the constitutional right to access information and urged the government to repeal excessive censorship regulations.
Furthermore, Amnesty International pointed out that the ban violates Nigeria’s obligations under international law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights—both of which guarantee freedom of expression.
The group urged the Tinubu administration to act swiftly to reverse the ban in order to avoid deepening the climate of fear and repression in the country.
This development follows a 48-hour ultimatum issued by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), demanding that the Nigerian government and NBC reverse the ban on Abdulkareem’s song or face legal action.