JUST IN: FG Breaks Silence On Shutting Down BBNaija Over COVID-19

The Federal Government has denied reports of shutting down the ongoing reality TV show, Big Brother Naija  (BBNaija).

Naija News understands that reports had claimed that the Federal Government was on the verge of shutting down BBNaija over fears of a possible spread of COVID-19 among housemates.

The report quoted the Acting Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Armstrong Idachaba, on Wednesday, to have told senior management members at a meeting that he had been directed by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, to shut down BBNaija.

However, two days after the report, the Federal Government has cleared the air on the rumour of shutting down the reality television show.

A report on AN24.net, quoted Segun Adeyemi, the Special Adviser (Media) to the Minister of Information, to have said on Friday night that Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari had no reason to stop the reality show.

The spokesman of the Information Minister said if there was a reason to ban BBNaija, the federal government would not hesitate to do so but the order would be conveyed via a memo by the Minister of Information and Culture.

Adeyemi dismissed the news of the  Federal Government shutting down BBNaija as a “product of mischief.”

Meanwhile, the 5th edition of the Big Brother Naija kicked off on Sunday, July 19, in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial city with 20 housemates competing for the grand prize of N85 million.