Badeggi Radio, a privately owned radio station in Minna, Niger State, Nigeria, has gone off air after it was shut down on the orders of the State Governor, Mohammed Umar Bago.
The order for the shutdown was issued on July 28 by the Governor during an expanded meeting of the Niger State All Progressives Congress, APC Caucus held at the Government House in Minna. He directed the Commissioner of Homeland Security, Mohammed Bello, and the Commissioner of Police, Adamu Elleman, to also ensure that the media facility is locked.
Additionally, Governor Baggo, directed the security operatives to profile the station’s owner, whom he accused of running a station that promotes violence. Badeggi Radio which broadcasted on the frequency 90.1 MHz, has since been off air.
The development has attracted a global backlash with Amnesty International leading criticisms. “Amnesty International strongly condemns the lawless and repressive order issued by Governor Umar Bago of Niger State for the closure of Badeggi 90.1 FM Radio Minna, which is an independent source of news for the people of Niger State,” said a statement released by Isa Sanusi, the Director of Amnesty International Nigeria.
The statement added, “The governor’s allegation against the radio station of ‘inciting violence’ and his order that ‘the licence 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.”
The shutdown has also been condemned by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), which has pointed out that the Governor has no power to revoke the license of media organizations, as such revocation can only be done by a court.
In as statement released to the public, the chairman of the NUJ, Abu Nmode, said a broadcast licence can only be revoked through judicial order.
“Governor Mohammed Umar Bago should tread with caution and by democratic tenets in issuing orders. The Governor should understand the role of the media in holding public officers accountable. It is only the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, that has legal powers to issue licenses to radio and television stations and can also revoke the same through judicial interpretations when such stations err,” Nmodu said.
The statement then went on to advice the Governor to file complaints with the media regulator, the National Broadcasting Commission, if he has any grievance against the radio station.
The Governor’s action has also been criticized as unconstitutional by celebrated lawyer and MFWA’s board member, Femi Falana SAN, who has pointed out that the order is not supported by the national constitution.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) associates itself with this view and adds its voice to the numerous calls demanding the reinstatement of the operating license of Badeggi Radio. The closure of the station unjustifiably deprives all persons who rely on it as their source of information.
