The Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, has shut down a private radio station, Badeggi 90.1 FM, for allegedly broadcasting programmes that were inciting residents to engage in violence across the state.
Bago added that the Commissioner of Police and the Commissioner for Homeland Security should immediately profile the owner of the broadcasting station.
The governor issued the order during an expanded meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus at the Government House in Minna.
Aside from that, the governor has urged the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to revoke the station’s licence.
In reaction, the management of Badeggi FM described the governor’s action as unconstitutional and undemocratic. The Director of Operations of the station, Abubakar Shuaib, urged the governor to follow the appropriate regulatory procedures through the NBC, rather than resorting to political directives.
Amnesty International Nigeria condemned the move, describing it as an attack on press freedom and a misuse of executive powers. The human rights group stated that the decision was “lawless and repressive,” warning that it could set a dangerous precedent for media suppression in Nigeria.
Similarly, a civil society group, Accountability Ambassadors, described the order as illegal and called for its immediate reversal. The group argued that only the NBC has the legal mandate to sanction or shut down a radio station, stressing that the governor’s actions violate Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression.
Observers have raised concerns about the growing trend of state governors clamping down on independent media across Nigeria. In recent months, similar shutdowns of broadcast stations have occurred in states such as Zamfara, drawing condemnation from media advocacy groups including the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and the International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria.
Legal experts have pointed out that under Nigerian law, no state governor has the authority to revoke a media licence or close a station without due process through the NBC. The controversy surrounding the shutdown of Badeggi FM is expected to lead to legal and political battles in the days ahead.
