BEVERLY HILLS, June 07, (THEWILL) – Justice Ekwo of the Federal High Court has ordered that parties in the case of DAAR communications and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) should maintain the status quo pending a hearing on June 13, 2019.
The NBC had on Thursday shutdown the two stations owned by Raymond Dokpesi’s DAAR Communication indefinitely for violating its guidelines.
Ruling on the matter on Friday, Justice Inyang Ekpo ordered the re-opening of the stations and ordered that parties in the case should maintain the status quo.
The presiding judge adjourned the case to June 13 for the defendant to show cause why the order should not be granted.
DAAR communications had earlier filed a motion seeking an ex parte order of interim injuction in its favour restraining the NBC, whether by themselves, their agents, operatives, servants and/or privies, howsoever called, from blocking, jamming, stopping, removing from air and/or interfering with the airwaves of the plaintiff/applicant in any way and manner howsoever, in its broadcast and airing of news, views, documentaries, or any other legitimate broadcast material that is usually associated with television, radio or social media broadcast pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed along with this application.
Alternatively, they asked the court for an order to maintain status quo ante bellum as at May 30, 2019, pending the hearing and final determination of the motion on notice filed along with this application.
Daar Communications also averred that since the emergence of the present government, it has been under close surveillance and undue monitoring of its operations by the present government which wrongly believes that the plaintiff/applicant had been too supportive of the immediate past government.
They also averred that shutting down its broadcast services will deny the majority of Nigerians access to information which is constitutionally guaranteed and its teaming workers of their means of livelihood.
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