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A political storm is raging in Niger State over the shutdown of an independent media outlet, Badeggi FM Radio, Minna, on the order of Governor Umar Bago.
Mr Bago had directed the state Commissioner of Police and Commissioner for Homeland Security to seal the media outfit having been unhappy with its broadcasts.
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The governor also directed the license to be confiscated and the owner profiled.
The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Bologi Ibrahim, in a statement issued on Friday, said the governor gave the directive during the expanded Niger State All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus meeting held at the Government House, Minna.
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According to Mr Ibrahim, the decision was taken because of the daily activities of the radio station.
“Governor Bago also accused the owner of the station of incitement of the people against the government and directed that the license of the radio station be revoked.”
“The governor directed the Commissioner for Homeland Security and the Commissioner of Police to seal the radio station, and emphasised the need for the security operatives to profile the owner of the radio station as his station promotes violence,” Mr Ibrahim said.
Radio management kicks
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 every day.
“So, the governor should write to NBC and let the regulatory agency verify our contents and programme to establish if they contravene 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.
Previous attacks on journalists
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, the Commissioner for Homeland Security, Bello Mohammed, a retired army brigadier-general, was said to have assaulted and attempted to seize the midget of a Voice of America reporter, Mustapha Batsari, at the Government House, Minna.
The reporter had approached Mr Mohammed for a comment on a lingering conflict between Fulani and Gbagyi farmers in Beji, Bosso LGA of the state which claimed lives.
Mr Batsari disclosed that he had called the commissioner several times via telephone without response, adding that he went to his office but did not meet him.
He had decided to approach the official in Government House to get the government’s side on the report he was working on, but the Commissioner rained abuse on him and attempted to seize his midget.
“It took the intervention of people around. The commissioner in charge of security threatened my life and tried to seize my recording gadget”. Mr Batsari said.
Similarly, in January 2025, the state correspondent of the People’s Daily Newspaper, and Chairman, Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Yakubu Bina, was held for several hours by the State Security Service (SSS) over a report he did on banditry.
Mr Bina was also held for several hours with his mobile phones seized for three days at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) of the police 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.
Amnesty Int’l, residents, CSO react
Many residents of Niger State, including members of the ruling APC and civil society organisations, Amnesty International and a Minna-based CSO, the Accountability Ambassadors, have condemned the decision of the governor, describing it as an attempt to suppress freedom of expression.
Amnesty International said targeting independent media was aimed at depriving the people of the opportunity to receive fair and objective reporting of issues affecting their lives.
“Amnesty International strongly condemns the lawless and repressive order issued yesterday by Governor Umar Bago of Niger state for the closure of Badeggi 90.1 FM Radio Minna, which is an independent source of news for the people of Niger state.
“The governor’s allegation against the radio station of “inciting violence” and his reckless order that “the license of the Radio station be revoked” clearly show abuse of power and unacceptable intolerance of critical voices. The order for the closure of the radio station is misguided and unjustifiable.
“While bandits and insurgents are ravaging the Niger state through killings and massive displacements of rural communities, with both the federal government and Niger state failing to protect lives, pointing accusing fingers at a radio station clearly shows a failure of leadership.
“Attacking Badeggi 90.1 FM is part of a wider pattern of attempts to create a climate of fear across newsrooms in Nigeria and to make it harder for journalists to do their job.
“Governor Bago must immediately withdraw his unlawful order. Under Nigerian laws, the governor has no power to order the closure of a radio station. Choosing to bizarrely blame a radio station for the inexcusable security failures of the government is an open attack on media freedom,” it said.
Similarly, Muhammad Alfa Muhammad, the Speaker, Accountability Ambassadors, asked the governor to respect the Nigerian constitution that grants citizens the freedom of expression
“The order by Governor Umaru Bago to shut down Badeggi FM Radio and call for the revocation of its license raises serious constitutional, ethical, and democratic concerns.
“While the need to maintain public peace is legitimate and indeed paramount, the outright closure of a media house without due process sets a dangerous precedent — one that threatens press freedom, chills civic space, and undermines Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution which guarantees freedom of expression and the press.
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“The proper recourse, if indeed the station has erred in professionalism or engaged in incitement, should be a formal complaint lodged with the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the lawful regulatory body mandated to investigate and sanction media houses. Anything outside that is executive overreach.
“Moreover, ordering the profiling of a private citizen — simply for owning a media platform critical of government — smacks of intolerance and an attempt to stifle dissent. In a democracy, criticism of the government, however harsh, is not only expected but essential. It is what separates constitutional rule from autocracy.
On his Facebook post, Yahaya Idrees, a close ally of the governor, said, “The Nigerian Constitution ensures freedom of speech under Section 39, stipulating that every individual has the right to freedom of expression, encompassing the liberty to hold opinions and receive information without interference, a principle also acknowledged in various international human rights frameworks. In light of this, I propose that the governor’s order be reevaluated, as restricting media freedom should not be encouraged.”
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