Farmer Governor Umaru Bago orders closure of BADEGGI Radio for Public Incitement

 

Niger State Governor farmer Mohammed Umaru Bago has ordered the closure of Badeggi FM Radio Station for inciting violence.

The governor gave the directive during the expanded Niger State APC Caucus meeting held at the Government House Minna.

He explained that the decision was taken because the daily activities of the Radio station have been unethical.

Governor Bago also accused the owner of the Station for incitement of the people against 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.

Bologi Ibrahim

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Niger State

1/8/2025

Niger State Government

Amnesty International reacts

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 sources 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 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.

Targeting independent media is solely aimed at depriving the people of the opportunity to receive fair and objective reporting of issues affecting their lives.