By NewsDesk – Abuja
A wave of condemnation has trailed the sudden shutdown of Badeggi FM 90.1, a private radio station in Niger State, following a direct order from Governor Mohammed Umar Bago. The move, widely seen as an assault on press freedom, has sparked backlash from media rights groups, legal experts, and civil society watchdogs across the country.
Governor Bago, during an All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus meeting, accused the station of inciting public unrest and ordered the Commissioner for Homeland Security and the State Police Commissioner to “seal the station and initiate revocation of its license.
” He also directed that the owner of the station be profiled for allegedly “promoting violence.”
The directive came swiftly, and security agents reportedly complied, forcibly shutting down operations at the station. No due process, no recourse to the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) — the lawful regulatory body for the broadcast industry. Critics argue that Governor Bago’s action reflects a dangerous power overreach. In a democracy, they contend, grievances against media organisations must follow lawful channels — not personal executive fiat.
Abubakar Shuaib, Director of Operations at Badeggi FM, in a measured response, advised the governor to channel his concerns through the NBC.
“The governor should write to NBC and let the regulatory agency verify our contents… NBC has a schedule of our programmes and monitors us daily,” he said.
Prominent bodies including the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Amnesty International (AI), Media Rights Agenda (MRA), and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) have all condemned the action.
In a strongly worded statement, the NGE likened the act to “the dark days of military dictatorship,” calling it a “blatant attack on press freedom and democracy.”
They urged the governor to rescind the order and allow the NBC to conduct an independent investigation into the station’s alleged infractions, if any. In a rare move, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris Malagi, distanced the federal government from the governor’s decision.
“The suspension or revocation of a broadcast license lies solely with the NBC, as established by law,” the minister said, calling for calm while the regulatory process plays out.
His response served as a signal that the action was unilateral — not representative of the broader stance of President Tinubu’s administration.
Observers were quick to draw parallels to a similar incident in 2022, when the then-governor of Zamfara State, now Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, ordered the shutdown of six media houses. That move was reversed only after public outcry and NBC intervention.
This latest episode, analysts warn, underscores a recurring pattern of media suppression by state actors who misconstrue their powers — especially when media outlets are not politically aligned.
🗣️ Public Space: What Do You Think?
📌 Was the Governor right to act in the name of state security?
📌 Or is this another dangerous example of power being abused in a democracy?
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Democracy thrives where the press is free. In a country striving for growth and institutional trust, shortcuts to silencing dissent — especially through unconstitutional orders — must not be tolerated. If the media must be regulated, it must be by law — not by ego.
