Two leading media development organisations, the International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria and the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), have condemned the closure of Badeggi FM 90.1, a privately owned radio station based in Minna, Niger State, and have called for its immediate reopening.
The radio station was ordered shut by Governor Umaru Bago during a meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on August 1, allegedly over the station’s critical reportage of the state government. The closure also included a directive to revoke the station’s license and profile its owner.
In separate press statements issued in Abuja, IPI Nigeria and CJID described the move as an unlawful clampdown on press freedom and a direct assault on Nigeria’s democratic values.
IPI Nigeria, in a statement signed by its President, Musikilu Mojeed, and Legal Adviser, Tobi Soniyi, said the closure of Badegi FM amounted to “yet another crackdown on freedom of expression and media freedom by the current administration in Niger State under Governor Bago.”
The group cited a series of prior incidents, including the January 2025 detention of Yakubu Mustapha, a journalist with Peoples Daily and Chairman of the NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel in Niger, over a report critical of the governor’s media aide. In November 2023, Mustapha Nasiru Batsari of Voice of America was also reportedly assaulted by a commissioner in Bago’s cabinet.
IPI Nigeria warned that Governor Bago’s actions flout Sections 22 and 39 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantee freedom of expression and press freedom. It gave the governor a 48-hour ultimatum to reverse the shutdown or risk being listed in its “Book of Infamy”—a dossier of individuals accused of repressing journalists and media freedom in Nigeria.
“Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago must immediately and unconditionally reverse this illegal suspension,” IPI warned. “Failure to do so will result in his inclusion in our Book of Infamy, which is routinely shared with embassies, international organisations, and human rights bodies worldwide.”
The CJID also decried the shutdown, describing it as an “executive overreach” and an abuse of state power. In a statement signed by its Deputy Director, Journalism Programme, Busola Ajibola, the centre said the action by Governor Bago was unconstitutional, stressing that only the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) is empowered to regulate or revoke broadcasting licenses.
“The building housing the station has reportedly been marked for demolition. This is a dangerous escalation and a blatant act of intimidation against the media,” CJID said.
It noted that Niger State ranks poorly on its recently released Subnational Openness Index—placing 11th among Nigeria’s 36 states—as one of the most hostile environments for independent journalism.
CJID also called on security agencies in the state to refuse illegal orders and protect press freedom.
“A free press is not an adversary to a functioning government. It is a fundamental pillar of democratic accountability,” the group said.
The statements from IPI and CJID come amid growing concerns over deteriorating press freedom in Nigeria’s subnational spaces, where governors are increasingly using state institutions to target critical voices in the media.
The organisations urged the public to remain vigilant and called on the federal government and relevant authorities to intervene and uphold constitutional protections for the media.
