IPI, NGE, others slam Niger gov over order on radio station

The directive of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger State for the shutdown of Badeggi FM Radio in Minna, the state capital, is generating a storm. Bago had directed the State Commissioner of Police and Commissioner for Homeland Security, Brigadier General Bello Abdullahi Mohammed (Rtd), to shut down the media outfit. The governor also directed […]

The directive of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger State for the shutdown of Badeggi FM Radio in Minna, the state capital, is generating a storm.

Bago had directed the State Commissioner of Police and Commissioner for Homeland Security, Brigadier General Bello Abdullahi Mohammed (Rtd), to shut down the media outfit.

The governor also directed that the licence of the station be revoked and the owner be profiled.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Bologi Ibrahim, in a statement said the governor gave the directive during the expanded Niger State All Progressives Congress (APC) Caucus meeting held at the Government House, Minna.

• The silencing of Badeggi FM: A symptom of Nigeria’s democratic erosion
• Silencing the press: Governor Bago’s reckless abuse of power must end

According to Ibrahim, the decision was taken because of the daily activities of the radio station.

Reacting to the governor’s order, the Director of Operations of Badeggi FM, Abubakar Shuaib, implored the governor to channel his complaints through proper channels rather than directing security operatives to harass the owner and staff of the radio station.

“The right thing to do is to write to the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for investigation. NBC has a schedule of our programmes and we are being monitored everyday. So, the governor should write to NBC and let the regulatory agency verify our contents and programme to establish if they contravened any of the NBC codes or ethical provisions. We cannot do anything to undermine the public peace and security of the state. Our duty is to hold leaders accountable and that is what we are doing. We don’t have anything against any individual or state government,” he said.

The government almost moved to demolish the station, a move that triggered backlash.

Major media organisations, Civil Society Organisations(CSOs) and prominent personalities have condemned the decision of the governor, describing it as an attempt to suppress the freedom of expression.

The International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria on Sunday demanded the immediate reversal of the order for the closure of the radio station, and threatened to list Governor Bago in its Book of Infamy if the order was not reversed within 48 hours.

In a press statement jointly signed by its President, Musikilu Mojeed, and Legal Adviser, Tobi Soniyi, IPI Nigeria described the action as “yet another crackdown on the freedom of expression and media freedom by the current administration in Niger State under Governor Bago.”

The Institute condemned the arbitrary suspension, describing it as a grave violation of press freedom and an assault on democratic norms.

The IPI Nigeria reminded Governor Bago that his actions represented a blatant abuse of power and are incompatible with the rights enshrined in Sections 22 and 39 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which guarantee freedom of expression, the right to information, and press freedom.

The Institute called for the immediate and unconditional lifting of the suspension imposed on Badeggi FM and warned of further action should the governor fail to comply.

“If Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago fails to unconditionally reverse this illegal suspension within the next 48 hours, IPI Nigeria will be left with no choice but to include his name in our Book of Infamy,” the statement read.

The group emphasised that arbitrary closures of media outlets harm society by restricting the free flow of diverse opinions and information. Such actions, it said, are contrary to the global push for media pluralism and accountability in governance.

“Governor Bago’s administration must uphold the inalienable rights of the people of Niger State, including their rights to free expression, access to information, and freedom of the press,” IPI Nigeria stated.

The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), in a statement signed by Eze Anaba, President, and Onuoha Ukeh, General Secretary, described the action as a blatant attack on press freedom and democracy in Nigeria.

“This act of censorship and intimidation undermines the fundamental principles of a democratic society, where free press is essential for holding those in power accountable.”

“Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) guarantees freedom of expression and press freedom. Also, Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which Nigeria is signatory to, also guarantees press freedom and freedom of expression.

“The closure of Badeggi Radio, a vital platform for public discourse and information dissemination, is a worrying trend that threatens the very fabric of our democracy.

“Government officials should know that we are in a democracy and therefore, the act of arbitrary order for the sealing off and closure of a radio station is unacceptable. Arbitrary closure of media houses reminds us of the dark days of military rule, which ended 26 years ago.”

Following IPI’s lane, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) also urged Governor Bago to “immediately reverse the arbitrary and unlawful decision to strip Badeggi FM radio station of its licence, reinstate the station’s licence, withdraw your threat to demolish the station’s premises, and end your crackdown on freedom of expression and media freedom in Niger state.”

In an open letter dated 2 August 2025 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said, “We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 48 hours of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel you and your government to comply with our request in the public interest.”

Also, Amnesty International said targeting independent media was aimed at depriving the people the opportunity to receive fair and objective reporting of issues affecting their lives.

Similarly, the Arewa Broadcast Media Practitioners Forum (ABMPF) has threatened to boycott all official activities of the Niger State government if it continues to undermine the freedom of the press.

The forum’s Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Yelwa, made this threat in a statement he signed after meeting with the Chief Executive Officer of Badeggi FM Minna.

In a statement issued by the ABMPF, Alhaji Yelwa was quoted as saying, “the station’s CEO Mohammed Shuaibu Badeggi, confirmed that the radio is fully operational in spite of the governor’s illegal orders.”

He also accused him of deploying the use of state machinery to further harass the station and stop it from carrying out its constitutionally guaranteed duties.

Also, Muhammad Alfa Muhammad, the Speaker, Accountability Ambassadors, a Minna-based Civil Society Organization asked the governor to respect the Nigerian constitution that grants citizens the freedom of expression.

 

Only NBC can revoke a radio station’s licence – Information minister

Weighing in via a statement issued on Saturday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, acknowledged the concerns raised by stakeholders over the development, assuring that the issue would be resolved impartially.

The minister, while welcoming the decision taken by the Niger government, however, noted that the suspension of broadcasting licences is vested on the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).

The statement was issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Rabiu Ibrahim.

The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), in a statement issued by its Deputy Director, Journalism Program, Busola Ajibola, described the move as a “grave assault on press freedom” and a blatant violation of Nigeria’s Constitution.

CJID decried the order as an act of executive overreach and abuse of state power.

Referencing its Press Attack Tracker, CJID highlighted that Niger State ranks 11th in its recently launched Subnational Openness Index, reflecting the state’s increasingly hostile environment for independent media and journalists.

 

Previous attacks on journalists

Checks by Daily Trust showed that this is not the first time journalists and the media have been assaulted under the current administration in Niger State.

In November 2023, six months after assuming office, a commissioner was said to have assaulted and attempted to seize the midget of a Voice of America reporter, Mustapha Nasiru Batsari, at the Government House Minna, when the reporter approached him for a comment on a lingering clash between Fulani and Gbagyi farmers in Beji, Bosso LGA of the state, which claimed lives.

Similarly, in January 2025, the state correspondent of the People’s Daily Newspaper, and Chairman, Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Yakubu Mustapha Bina, was held for several hours by security agents over a report he did on banditry.

Bina was also held for several hours with his mobile phones seized for three days at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) of the state police command for allegedly sharing an article critical of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Print Media, Aisha Wakaso.

The police action followed a direct criminal complaint filed against the reporter at the Minna Magistrate Court by the plaintiff who alleged that the defendant circulated the article on WhatsApp groups without verifying its authenticity.