The International Press Institute Nigeria has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, demanding the immediate and unconditional reopening of Badegi 90.1 FM.
Badegi FM, an independent radio station in Minna, the state capital, was shut down by the state government on Friday, August 1, for allegedly broadcasting content critical of Bago’s government.
In a press statement on Sunday jointly signed by its President, Musikilu Mojeed, and Legal Adviser, Tobi Soniyi, IPI Nigeria described the closure as “yet another crackdown on freedom of expression and media freedom by the current administration in Niger State under Governor Bago.”
The organisation warned that failure to reverse the suspension within 48 hours would result in the governor’s name being listed in its Book of Infamy, a registry of public officials known for repressing or harassing the press.
“If Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago fails to unconditionally reverse this illegal suspension within the next 48 hours, IPI Nigeria will be left with no choice but to include his name in our Book of Infamy,” the statement partly read.
The institute also recalled what it described as a growing pattern of repression against the press in Niger State, citing previous instances of ill-treatment of journalists in the state.
“In January 2025, Yakubu Mustapha, the Niger State correspondent for Peoples Daily and Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), was detained for three days after allegedly circulating an article critical of the governor’s media adviser.
“Similarly, in November 2023, Mustapha Nasiru Batsari, the Niger State correspondent of the Voice of America (VOA), was reportedly assaulted by a commissioner in Governor Bago’s cabinet after requesting an interview regarding a violent clash between farmers in Beji, Bosso Local Government Area,” the statement added.
The group stated that the governor’s actions contravened Sections 22 and 39 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantee press freedom and the right to freedom of expression and information, noting that the governor must “uphold the inalienable rights of the people of Niger State, including their rights to free expression, access to information, and freedom of the press.”
The institute also cautioned that arbitrary media closures harmed society by restricting the free flow of diverse opinions and information, adding that such actions stand “contrary to the global push for media pluralism and accountability in governance.”
