The Muslim Public Affairs Centre ,MPAC, Nigeria, has condemned Channels Television over what it described as misleading and insensitive captioning in its reportage of a bomb attack on a mosque in Maiduguri, Borno State.
In a statement issued on Thursday, by its Executive Chairman,.Disu Kamor, MPAC said the attack, which occurred at a mosque located within a market in Maiduguri, claimed the lives of five Muslim worshippers and left more than 35 others injured.
The group described the incident as a brutal assault on civilians engaged in worship, an act that security agencies and public officials have labelled barbaric.
According to MPAC, Channels Television’s report failed to clearly identify the location as a mosque or acknowledge the Muslim identity of the victims. Instead, the broadcaster reportedly introduced a reference to “Christmas Eve,” which MPAC said was unrelated to the incident and potentially inflammatory.
The organisation alleged that the reference to Christmas was added after the initial publication of the report, raising concerns that it was intended to provoke emotion, drive engagement, or inflame religious tensions in an already fragile security environment.
MPAC contrasted Channels Television’s coverage with that of several international media outlets, which it said reported the incident accurately by identifying it as an attack on a mosque and on Muslim worshippers, without sensational framing.
The group further accused Channels Television of exhibiting a pattern of bias in its reporting, claiming that incidents involving Muslim victims are often downplayed or stripped of religious context, while narratives that could foster suspicion or hostility toward Muslims are amplified.
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Describing the Maiduguri bombing as a national tragedy, MPAC said the focus should have remained on the victims and the humanitarian impact of the attack, rather than what it termed “editorial sensationalism.”
As a result, MPAC called on the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to investigate Channels Television’s editorial conduct and impose appropriate sanctions in line with the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
It also demanded a public explanation and retraction from the broadcaster, including a correction that accurately reflects the nature of the attack and the identity of the victims.
In addition, the group urged relevant security agencies to examine whether the framing of the report was intended to provoke religious tension or public disorder, and called on media organisations to recommit to ethical journalism grounded in accuracy, balance, and social responsibility.
“This is not about suppressing press freedom. It is about protecting public trust and preventing narratives that can deepen divisions and endanger lives,” the statement said.
