By Mahamood Fofana
The Independent Media Commission (IMC) has ordered Liberty TV Online to retract and clarify statements broadcast and published concerning former Cabinet Minister Sylvia Olayinka Blyden.
The ruling, delivered on 4 August 2026 by IMC Chairman and Commissioner Joseph Egbenda Kapuwa Esq., found that Liberty TV Online breached Regulations 5(1)(a) and 6(2)(b) of the Independent Media Commission (Print and Electronic Media) Regulations, 2022.
The complaint stemmed from a breakfast programme broadcast on 11 July 2025, during which entertainer Zainab Sheriff allegedly claimed that Dr Blyden entered her residence and attempted to covertly record a minor child.
According to the Commission, Liberty TV Online failed to take reasonable steps to verify the allegations before broadcasting them.
The IMC clarified, however, that its ruling did not establish that the allegations were false. Rather, the Commission found that the broadcaster failed to properly verify the claims before putting them into the public domain.
The Commission also took issue with a subsequent news summary published under Liberty TV Online’s own name, which stated that Dr Blyden had “showed some level of dishonesty.” The IMC found that the statement had no corresponding basis in the underlying interview and was published without first seeking Dr Blyden’s response.
Liberty TV Online’s reliance on an on screen disclaimer was also rejected by the Commission. It ruled that such a disclaimer does not exempt a broadcaster from its regulatory obligations under the media regulations.
The Commission further held that Liberty TV Online’s offer of a right of reply did not discharge its separate obligation to retract the disputed material after Dr Blyden expressly requested a retraction.
The broadcaster has been ordered to publish, within seven days of receiving the ruling, a clarification with the same prominence as the original publication. The clarification must state that Liberty TV Online was unable to substantiate the claims concerning Dr Blyden’s alleged entry into Ms Sheriff’s residence and alleged attempt to record a minor, and that the claims should not have been broadcast without verification.
Liberty TV Online has also been ordered to issue an unqualified retraction of the news summary that attributed dishonesty to Dr Blyden.
Despite the findings, the Commission imposed no fine or costs, noting that the case was Liberty TV Online’s first appearance before the Commission in a complaint of this nature. The broadcaster was, however, cautioned about its future conduct.
Before publication of this report, Liberty TV Online told this medium by telephone that its legal team was reviewing the ruling and would issue an official statement subsequently.
