‘Attack on press freedom’, Amnesty Int’l rejects Move to demolish Niger Radio Station

A leading human rights group, Amnesty International, has described as unlawful the move by the Niger state government to demolish the building of Badeggi FM Radio in the state capital Minna. The state Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, had earlier directed the State Commissioner of Police and Homeland Security to shut down the station over what […]

A leading human rights group, Amnesty International, has described as unlawful the move by the Niger state government to demolish the building of Badeggi FM Radio in the state capital Minna.

The state Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, had earlier directed the State Commissioner of Police and Homeland Security to shut down the station over what was described as incitement of the people against the government.

The Governor also directed that the licence of the media outlet be revoked and its owner profiled.

The decision by the state government has generated wide reactions.

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In a post on its Facebook page, Amnesty International condemned the shutting down of the radio station, describing move to demolish its building as unlawful and an attack on media freedom.

The group also shared a video which captured some personnel marking the building of the Bageggi FM, saying the move was to demolish it.

In a post attached to the video, the human rights group described the move as an unlawful act that must be halted.

It said, “Niger state governor Umar Bago has just sent a squad that marked the building of Badeggi FM 90.1 Minna for demolition. This unlawful and repressive move to not only shut down the radio station but also demolish its building is unlawful and must be halted.

“Niger state governor is abusing his office by manipulating ‘non-compliance with land administration laws’ to shut down an independent radio station. This is an attack on media freedom.”