Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger State, on August 1, 2025, ordered the shutdown of Badeggi Radio 90.1 FM, a privately owned radio station based in Minna, the state capital. The governor also directed the station’s license to be revoked and the owner profiled.
Gov. Bago directed the state Commissioner of Police and Commissioner for Homeland Security to seal the media outlet, accusing the station’s owner of incitement of the people against the government.
The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Bologi Ibrahim, disclosed in a statement that the governor gave the directive during the expanded Niger State All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus meeting held at the Government House, Minna. Mr Ibrahim said the governor took the decision as a result of the daily activities of the radio station. He said, “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,” Mr Ibrahim added.
In his reaction, Mr Abubakar Shuaib, the Director of Operations of Badeggi FM, implored the governor to channel his complaints to the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) rather than directing security Operatives to harass the owner and staff of the radio station.
Mr Shuaib 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,” he added.
There has been outrage from various quarters against the order, describing it as an attempt to suppress freedom of expression and calling on the governor to rescind the decision to shut down the station.
