A Nigerian lawyer and activist, Maduabuchi Idam, has called on the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to ban or regulate the Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) reality television show, describing its content as obscene, indecent, and harmful to public morals.
In a petition addressed to the Director General of NBC, Idam argued that BBNaija, which is in its second week of the 10th season, displays “real-time obscene and pornographic actions” that violate the NBC Act of 1999.
“The programme has been characterised by the brazen exhibition of real-time obscene and pornographic actions,” Idam wrote in his letter titled “Urgent need to ban or regulate the content of the television programme described as ‘Big Brother Naija.’”
He warned that if NBC fails to act within 30 days, he would take legal action in court.
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Idam said the show, despite being rated 18+, is widely broadcast on social media, making it easily accessible to underage children and the general public, including those who do not wish to watch it.
“I write, not as one who is unaware of the 18+ rating, but as a Nigerian who shares the concern of several others about the danger this program poses to public decency and morality,” he said.
He also pointed out that NBC has in the past banned or sanctioned music videos like “Don’t Stop” by Olamide and “In My Bed” by Wizkid for promoting indecency, yet has done nothing about the ongoing BBNaija show.
“It becomes perplexing to find that the NBC has remained mute or unconcerned in the face of the program, Big Brother Naija, despite its obvious explicit content,” he added.
Idam demanded that NBC should restrict the show to highly secure channels meant only for adults and stop the broadcast of its clips on social media.
“The regulation of the Big Brother Naija program, which neither offers educative, artistic, scientific nor literary value, has become necessary to salvage our society from moral decay,” he said.
He ended the petition with a strong warning: “Take notice that in the event of failure to comply with the demand herein, I shall be constrained to seek necessary redress in the court of competent jurisdiction.”
As of now, NBC has not made a public statement in response to the petition.