The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has strongly condemned the recent order by Niger State Governor, Hon. Mohammed Umar Bago for the closure of an independent media outlet, Badeggi FM Radio, based in Minna, the state capital.
The Guild called on the Federal Government to order the unsealing of the premises of the radio station, while investigation is carried out.
According to reports, the governor directed the state Commissioner of Police, Adamu Elleman; and Commissioner for Homeland Security, Brigadier General Bello Mohammed (rtd.) to seal the media outfit having been unhappy with its broadcasts.
Bago also directed the station’s licence to be confiscated and the owner profiled.
In a statement on Friday, the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Bologi Ibrahim said that Bago gave the directive during the state’s expanded All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus meeting held at the Government House, Minna. According to the spokesperson, the decision was taken because of the daily activities of the radio station.
His statement read: ‘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’.
The Director of Operations of Badeggi FM, Abubakar Shuaib, however, implored the governor to pass his complaints through proper channels rather than directing security operatives to harass the owner and staff of the radio station.
He said: ‘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’.
In a statement on Saturday by its President, Mr. Eze Anaba; and General Secretary, Mr. Onuoha Ukeh, the NGE said it considered the governor’s action as ‘a blatant attack on press freedom and democracy in Nigeria’.
Quoting Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which guarantees freedom of expression and press freedom; and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which Nigeria is signatory to, and also guarantees press freedom and freedom of expression, the Nigerian editors said the closure of the station is not only an ‘act of censorship and intimidation’, but it also ‘undermines the fundamental principles of a democratic society, where free press is essential for holding those in power accountable’.
The statement further read: ‘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. Governor Bago acted outside his powers to order the closure of a radio station. The power to sanction television and radio stations only lies with the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) after a thorough investigation of any alleged breach of the Code.
‘We are happy that the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mallam Mohammed Idris has pointed this out. This should go beyond observing the anomaly. The Federal Government should order the unsealing of the premises of the radio station, while investigation is carried out.
‘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.
‘Governor Bago’s allegation of incitement of violence by the radio station is a serious issue, which has to be investigated and proven before any action can be taken. We urge the media to operate under strict adherence to the code of ethics of journalism, with responsible conduct at the back of the minds of the professionals.
‘We also call on the authorities to take measures to respect the rights of citizens to access information and express themselves freely. Badeggi Radio should be reopened while the investigation continues.
‘The Guild reiterates that a free and independent press is essential for a functioning democracy and demands that governments at all levels respect and uphold this fundamental right’.
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, Mohammed 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 Mohammed for a comment on a lingering conflict between Fulani and Gbagyi farmers in Beji, Bosso Local Government Area of the state, which claimed lives.
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 at the 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’. Batsari said.
In January 2025, the state correspondent of the People’s Daily newspaper, Yakubu Bina, who is also the Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, was held for several hours by the State Security Service (SSS) over his report 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 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.
The decision has been condemned by Amnesty International, many Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and residents of Niger State, who described it as an attempt to suppress freedom of expression.
Amnesty International said that targeting independent media was aimed at depriving the people of the opportunity to receive fair and objective reporting of issues affecting their lives.
It said: ‘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’.
The Speaker of a Minna-based CSO, the Accountability Ambassadors, Muhammad Alfa Muhammad 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.
‘The proper recourse, if indeed the station has erred in professionalism or engaged in incitement, should be a formal complaint lodged with theNational 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, a close ally of the governor, Yahaya Idrees, 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’.
