Somali state defends closure of Nabad TV, says it spread ‘false news’

By Shugri Mohamed

GOOBJOOG NEWS|JIGJIGA: Authorities in Somali State of Ethiopia have defended the closure of Nabad TV associated with immediate former federal minister Filsan Ahmed.

The deputy commissioner of the Somali Regional Police, Mohamud Sheikh Ahmed said that ‘Nabad TV’ had ‘violated the state of emergency constitution adding, “It put (Nabada TV) out false news that could cause harm our region. Therefore, we had no choice but to shut it down.”

The owner of the television, former Minister of Women, Children and Youth, Filsan Abdi has not publicly spoken about the closure of the TV station but noted that her parents had been detained by Ethiopian security forces Somali state capital Jigjiga.

Earlier, state president Mustafa Omer alluded to a crackdown on the TV station founded by Filsan Ahmed in 2018.

“The link between hate speech and violence is well established…. The closest that comes to home is what happened in our region on August 4, 2018 when hate was allowed to reign over tolerance,” Omer said in a Facebook post.

He added that “the full force of [law] will be deployed against individuals, media or political parties who preach and practice hate as a means of politics.”

Goobjoog News reached out to both the regional communications bureau and Filsan but they did not respond.