Secret Reporters No place to hide
Secret Reporters
In line with the Nigerian broadcast code, a company cannot control major sports content across all TV platforms. However, the reverse is the case as MultiChoice company has overtime made use of their monopolistic practices to terminate all Nigerian companies out of the market with no regards to the rule of law.
Sadly, while Nigerians are yet to fully recover from the shock of the recent gruesome attacks as well as vandalization of properties especially in South Africa, MultiChoice which is a maiden company with its headquarters located in South Africa perhaps hell-bent on causing maximum pain to Nigerians even within its shores, thereby inflicting more pain on Nigerian citizens as findings revealed that just recently a near-clandestine operation was carried out by the operatives of the economic and financial crime commission who raided most local cable companies as well as arrested operators on the pretence of them being fake satellite television stations.
According to sources, most operatives of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) in the Rivers State capital, Port Harcourt, are in a way acting as a shield in support of the South African based company as seen in their action on Saturday, 5th of October 2019, how five suspected TV operators namely; Davidson onuoha, Emeka Samuel, Eze Francis Sunny Amadi, Terkura Zungwen Veronica and Evangelist Alex Umanah were arrested simultaneously at three different locations within the garden city on alleged infringement of DSTV’s rebroadcasting rights.
The saga we learned did not stop at that as a cover up story was immediately released stating that the operators were arrested after weeks of intense investigations with several items including DSTV decoders, Encoders, switches and other items recovered.
Though the commission stated that the suspects were rebroadcasting contents of the digital satellite television (DSTV) illegally, many Nigerians question and perceive the clampdown as a mere case of digital bullying especially with the EFCC stating that the suspects will be charged to court pending when a complete and thorough investigation is concluded.
The EFCC spokesperson Mr Wilson Uwajaren did not reply when contacted for his reaction to the allegation.
