Nigeria's Minister of Information and culture, Lai Mohammed was reported to have ordered the National Broadcasting Commission to shut down the ongoing new season of Big Brother Naija.

According to The Cable, the acting DG of NBC, Armstrong Idachaba, on Wednesday July 22, told senior management that he had been ordered by the minister to stop the show over possible risks of a covid-19 outbreak.

The latest directive follows an initial authorization by the NBC. A director revealed during the meeting that the commission had rested its query after show organizers, Multichoice gave a detailed account of measures taken to prevent an outbreak including testing the 20 housemates, compulsory two weeks isolation, the constant disinfection of the house and the elimination of live audience-an integral part of the show prior to the pandemic.

Mohammed's order to the NBC reportedly was also in a bid to remove himself from the notion that he has a vendetta against Multichoice. While the NBC is yet to disrupt the transmission of the show, Idachaba revealed that he may have no other option than to shut it down.

But in a statement by his media aide, Segun Adeyemi, the minister said he didn't make any move to stop the transmission of the ongoing Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) reality show.

He however urged the general public to ignore the reports, saying there was no memo to support the claim that he wanted the show shut down.