Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has condemned the closure of Badegi 90.1 FM, a private radio station based in Minna, Niger State, on August 1, 2025, on the orders of the Governor, Mr. Mohammed Umaru Bago, describing the action as illegal, arbitrary and a dangerous assault on broadcasting freedom. It called on the Governor to immediately and unconditionally reopen the station and issue a public apology for the closure.
Governor Bago reportedly ordered the State Commissioner of Police to seal off the station for alleged incitement of violence and directed that the license of the radio station be revoked, according to a statement by Mr. Bologi Ibrahim, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor.
Mr. Ibrahim claimed in the statement that the “daily activities of the radio station have been unethical”, adding that “Governor Bago also accused the owner of the station of incitement of the people against the government.”
Describing the Government’s action as undemocratic, illegal and unjustifiable, Mr. John Gbadamosi, MRA’s Programme Officer, noted in a statement issued in Lagos that criticism of the government is not crime as it is integral to any functioning democracy, in addition to the fact that it is a constitutional right and duty imposed on the media by Section 22 of the Constitution.
In any event, he argued, the Governor lacks any constitutional or statutory authority to order the closure of any broadcast station in Nigeria or the revocation of the broadcasting license of any broadcast media organization.
Mr. Gbadamosi said: “The Governor’s action amounts to an abuse of his office and a clear breach of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers under the 1999 Constitution, as amended, particularly Paragraph 9 of the Code. Should the Governor fail to immediately and unconditionally reverse his directives, we will take appropriate action to ensure that he is held accountable for this egregious violation of the constitutional right to freedom of expression and the corollary rights of the people in the State to receive ideas and information.”
Citing the provisions of Paragraph 9 of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, which states that “A public officer shall not do or direct to be done, in abuse of his office, any arbitrary act prejudicial to the rights of any other person knowing that such act is unlawful or contrary to any government policy”, he noted that there is no doubt that the Governor’s actions amount to a violation of the Code as he has no authority to order the shutting down of the station or the revocation of its license.
According to him, Governor Bago knows or ought to know that he has no power to shut down any radio station or to direct the revocation of its license, as the regulation of broadcasting in Nigeria is not under his control or authority. He added that by nonetheless purporting to exercise powers and authority which he does not have, in violation of the rights of the owners and staff of the radio station as well as the access to information rights all the residents of the State who receive news and information from the station, the Governor has abused his powers, violated his oath of office and breached the Code of Conduct for Public Officers.
Mr. Gbadamosi stated that although it is clear from the action of the Governor that he wants to have in the State only media outlets that will sing his praises, he has to curtail such desires and be prepared to tolerate criticisms and negative reporting from the media since the same Constitution under which he derives his powers and authority, which he is now misusing, has also given the media the duty and freedom to “uphold the responsibility and accountability of the Government to the people.”
He said: “Governor Bago his advised to concentrate is attention and efforts on performing his functions and carrying out the responsibilities of his office in accordance with the Constitution, which states that the primary purpose of government is to ensure the security and welfare of the people, and allow the media to similarly perform the functions imposed on them by the Constitution, the most important of which are reminding the government of its responsibilities to the people and holding the government accountable to the people.”
Mr. Gbadamosi urged the NBC to assert its independence in the matter by acting decisively against any attempt to illegally usurp its authority while also upholding the independence of broadcast media under its regulatory purview.
He called on Governor Bago to immediately and unconditionally reopen Badegi 90.1 FM and issue a public apology to the proprietors, management, staff, and listeners of the station for the arbitrary and unlawful violation of their rights and also give a public undertaking to respect the independence and freedom of the media to operate without such arbitrary interference or political intimidation.
