Amnesty International Condemns Closure of Badeggi 90.1 FM as Threat to Press Freedom

Amnesty International has condemned the shutdown of Badeggi 90.1 FM in Minna, calling the move by Niger State Governor, Umar Bago, an abuse of executive authority and a direct threat to press freedom. 

According to Saturday Telegraph, Governor Bago ordered the station's immediate closure during an expanded All Progressives Congress (APC) meeting at the Government House on Thursday, accusing it of broadcasting inciting and unethical material.

In a statement released on Saturday, Amnesty International Nigeria's Director, Isa Sanusi, criticized the decision, asserting it had no legal justification and was part of a larger trend of media suppression in the nation.

“Amnesty International strongly denounces the unlawful and oppressive order issued by Governor Umar Bago of Niger State for the closure of Badeggi 90.1 FM Radio Minna, which serves as an independent news source for the people of Niger State,” Sanusi stated.

“The governor’s claims that the radio station is ‘inciting violence’ and his directive to revoke its license clearly reflect an abuse of power and an unacceptable intolerance towards dissenting viewpoints. The order to shut down the radio station is misguided and unwarranted.”

Sanusi highlighted that under Nigerian law, state governors do not have the power to close broadcasting stations, urging for an immediate reversal of the closure order.

He further criticized the state government’s focus on silencing the media at a time when communities in the area are facing insecurity, violence, and widespread dislocation.

“While bandits and insurgents wreak havoc in Niger State through killings and large-scale displacement of rural communities, and both the Federal Government and Niger State are failing to safeguard lives, targeting a radio station reflects a significant leadership failure.”

“Aimed at depriving citizens of fair and objective reporting on issues that affect their lives, targeting independent media is a blatant attempt to intimidate and undermine the practice of independent journalism in Nigeria.”