In a major escalation of tensions, the Federal Government and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) have sharply criticised Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago over his directive to close private radio station Badeggi FM 90.1 in Minna. The governor alleged unethical broadcasting and incitement, ordering security operatives to seal off the station, revoke its licence, profile the owner, and even mark the premises for demolition, a move widely denounced by media and legal experts as unlawful overreach.
The NBA, under President Afam Osigwe, described the governor’s action as an “executive rascality of the highest order,” emphasising that only the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has statutory authority to revoke broadcast licences through due process, not a state governor.
It insisted that the directive lacks legal effect and urged law enforcement agencies to refuse compliance with any unconstitutional orders.
Similarly, the Nigerian Guild of Editors condemned the closure as a blatant assault on press freedom and democracy, warning the move echoed the era of military rule and erodes constitutional protections under Section 39 of Nigeria’s Constitution and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The federal Ministry of Information, through its Special Assistant on Media, reaffirmed that licence suspension is entirely within NBC’s remit. The ministry urged stakeholders to channel any complaints about Badeggi FM through proper regulatory channels and called for restraint and adherence to due process.
The Niger State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) also weighed in, asking the governor to walk back the directive and engage with professional bodies rather than resorting to authoritarian tactics. The NUJ warned that such closures violate democratic norms and highlighted that only the NBC is empowered to sanction media outlets after formal procedures
Human rights organisation SERAP issued a 48‑hour ultimatum, demanding the immediate reversal of the governor’s order, reinstatement of Badeggi FM’s licence, withdrawal of threats to demolish its building, and an end to the profiling of the station’s owner. SERAP threatened legal action if compliance was not received within that window.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) joined the chorus, condemning the shutdown as an act of “authoritarian excess” tantamount to dictatorship. The party stressed that Governor Bago’s action violated the rule of law, with only the NBC authorised to suspend licences under Section 2(1)(b) of the NBC Act.
This standoff underscores simmering anxieties over press freedoms and executive impunity within Nigeria’s federal structure. Governors must balance their duties with constitutional limits, especially on matters involving media regulation and civil liberties; any departure from that path risks eroding democratic norms and inviting judicial scrutiny.
