MAN IN THE NEWS: Umar Bago, the farmer governor always making the wrong headlines

Bago

When Umar Bago, governor of Niger state, ordered the closure of Badeggi 90.1 FM on July 31, he triggered a wave of outrage.

The station based in Minna, the state capital, was accused of airing content allegedly inciting violence.

Bologi Ibrahim, the chief press secretary to the governor, said the “daily activities of the radio station have been unethical”.

The governor also directed that the licence of the radio station be revoked.

‘ASSAULT ON PRESS FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY’

Civil society organisations (CSOs) and press unions described the move as a “dangerous assault on press freedom”.

Amnesty International said the development was unlawful, saying that only the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has the legal authority to sanction broadcast stations.

“It is an abuse of power and an unacceptable display of intolerance towards critical voices,” Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International’s Nigeria director, said.

The human rights organisation said the decision of the governor represents an abuse of power.

“While bandits and insurgents are ravaging the Niger state through killings and massive displacements of rural communities, with both the Federal Government and Niger State failing to protect lives, pointing accusing fingers at a radio station clearly shows a failure of leadership,” Sanusi said.

“Attacking Badeggi 90.1 FM is part of a wider pattern of attempts to create climate of fear across newsrooms in Nigeria and to make it harder for journalists to do their job.