Rights Group Slams Governor Bago Over Badeggi FM Shutdown

The Sterling Law Centre (SLC), a Civic Society Organisation (CSO) has issued a strongly worded press statement denouncing the directive by Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, to seal Badeggi 90.1 FM Minna and revoke the station’s broadcasting license.

The Centre described the action as a “reckless abuse of executive power, calculated to muzzle dissent and terrorise the independent media.”

The controversial order was reportedly issued on August 2, 2025, during an All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus meeting, where the governor allegedly instructed security agents to profile the station’s owner.

The SLC argued that Governor Bago’s directive is “illegal, null, and void, as it contravenes Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which guarantees every Nigerian the right to freedom of expression. Furthermore, the Centre pointed out that the governor’s actions violate Nigeria’s international obligations under Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.”

In the statement, the SLC emphasized that only the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) possesses the legal authority to license, regulate, or sanction broadcast stations. It condemned Governor Bago’s unilateral decision to bypass the NBC and the judicial system, warning that such conduct drags Niger State “back to the dark days of military decree.”

The Centre described the labeling of Badeggi FM’s broadcasts as “incitement of violence” without investigation or judicial oversight as “a tired authoritarian script.”

The incident, according to the SLC, underscores growing concerns in the ongoing national debate on the creation of state police. The Centre warned that the governor’s actions represent “a preview of what happens when political overlords gain unfettered coercive power.”

It reiterated its long-standing opposition to state-controlled police forces, cautioning that such powers could easily be weaponized to target dissenters and silence media houses.

In response to the closure, the Sterling Law Centre demanded the immediate and unconditional reopening of Badeggi 90.1 FM and the full restoration of its broadcasting license. It also called for a public apology from Governor Bago to the station’s staff, proprietors, and listeners.

The Centre further urged the initiation of an independent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the closure, with disciplinary consequences for any officials found culpable. Additionally, it called on the National Broadcasting Commission, the Inspector-General of Police, and the National Human Rights Commission to intervene to prevent any further acts of harassment or abuse.

Concluding its statement, the Sterling Law Centre urged civil society, journalists, and media organisations to “remain vocal, vigilant, and united,” warning that “silence today begets tyranny tomorrow.”

The Centre affirmed its commitment to pursuing every available legal avenue to challenge the station’s closure and defend fundamental rights.