![Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger State. [PHOTO CREDIT: Umaru Mohammed Bago]](https://i0.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2024/08/421546692_933719274781578_2601576153313703495_n-e1723404028950.jpg?fit=1024%2C614&ssl=1)
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has condemned the shutting down of an independent media outlet, Badeggi Radio, Minna, on the order of Governor Umar Bago of Niger State.
In a statement signed by its president, Mazi Afam Osigwe, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), the NBA said the governor lacks the constitutional or legal authority to revoke broadcast licences or shut down any media establishment.
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It said Mr Bago’s action has no regulatory sanction or judicial backing, therefore, “It is a dangerous assault on press freedom and democratic governance.”
It called on the governor to “withdraw the order immediately,” and refrain from further unlawful acts.
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The Niger State government on Friday ordered the immediate shutdown of Badeggi Radio 90.1 FM, a privately owned station in Minna. The governor accused the station of inciting violence.
He also ordered the withdrawal of its broadcast licence and directed security agencies to profile the station’s owner.
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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“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.”
According to Mr 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, denied the governor’s allegations and implored him to channel his complaints through proper channels rather than directing security Operatives to harass the owner and staff of the radio station.
The NBA condemned the act, particularly its enforcement through instructions to the Commissioner of Police in the state and the State’s Commissioner of Homeland Security.
It also opposed profiling the station’s owner and marking the premises for demolition.
Mr Osigwe said the action constitutes “executive rascality of the highest order,” and “a blatant abuse of power” that undermines constitutional democracy and the rule of law.
The association also called on the Commissioner of Police and other security agencies to reject unlawful executive directives and refuse to carry out any orders that infringe on constitutional rights.
It said “security agencies are bound by law to act within constitutional limits, not as instruments of political intimidation or media suppression.,”
NBA affirmed that only the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has the statutory mandate to regulate broadcasting, including suspending or revoking licences, subject to due process in Nigeria.
It added that the Nigerian constitution guarantees freedom of expression under Section 39, including the right to own, operate, and access media.
“No person, regardless of office, has the right to arbitrarily restrict or shut down a media house without due process of law,” the NBA said.
The association said media regulation must follow due process through established statutory channels, not executive fiat.
It urged all levels of government to uphold the rule of law, respect constitutional boundaries, and protect press freedom.
It further stressed that a free and independent media is not a privilege but a constitutional right and a cornerstone of any democratic society.
Wider condemnation
The NBA is not the only group that has condemned the action. The governor’s deed has drawn widespread criticism, particularly from professional and rights organisations and lawyers.
The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) called the governor’s action unconstitutional and a direct attack on press freedom.
Amnesty International Nigeria described the shutdown as “an abuse of power” and urged authorities to respect media independence.
Senior lawyers, including Femi Falana, said the governor lacked the authority to revoke a broadcast licence, which rests solely with the NBC.
The NBC has since denied involvement in the shutdown and said it is reviewing the matter.
The case echoes the concerning muzzling of the media in Nigeria by political actors and influential people, amid wider attacks on the civic space and dissent voices.
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