IPI Nigeria Gives Niger Governor 48-Hour Ultimatum to Reopen Badegi FM
The International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, to immediately and unconditionally reopen Badegi 90.1 FM, a Minna-based independent radio station shut down by the state government.
The station was reportedly sealed on Friday, August 1, over broadcasts deemed critical of the Bago-led administration.
In a strongly worded statement released on Sunday, IPI Nigeria described the closure as a fresh assault on press freedom in the state.
The statement, jointly signed by IPI Nigeria President, Musikilu Mojeed, and its Legal Adviser, Tobi Soniyi, condemned the action, warning that failure to reopen the station within the specified period would lead to Governor Bago’s inclusion in the institute’s Book of Infamy—a list of public officials notorious for repressing the media.
“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 read.
The press institute highlighted a disturbing pattern of media suppression in the state, citing past incidents involving local journalists.
In January 2025, Yakubu Mustapha of Peoples Daily, who also serves as Chairman of the NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel in Niger State, was detained for three days after circulating an article critical of the governor’s media aide.
Similarly, in November 2023, Mustapha Nasiru Batsari of the Voice of America was allegedly assaulted by a commissioner after requesting an interview about a violent farmer clash in Beji, Bosso LGA.
IPI Nigeria argued that the latest action violates constitutional provisions—specifically Sections 22 and 39 of the 1999 Constitution—which guarantee freedom of expression, press freedom, and public access to information.
“Governor Bago 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 stressed.
It also warned that arbitrary clampdowns on the media not only violate civil liberties but also undermine transparency, media pluralism, and accountable governance.
