AMNESTY International has condemned the directive by Niger State Governor Umar Bago to shut down Badeggi 90.1 FM, an independent radio station based in Minna.
The international rights organisation described the move as “lawless and repressive.’
In a statement on Saturday, August 2, Amnesty said the governor’s order, which also called for the station’s licence to be revoked over allegations of “inciting violence,” was an abuse of power and a blatant act of intolerance toward critical journalism.
Recall that the governor had on Friday, August, ordered the state Commissioner of Police and the Commissioner for Homeland Security to seal the private radio station, accusing it of inciting ‘violence’ and promoting content that is ‘unethical.’
He also called for the revocation of its broadcasting licence.
The order was issued during a meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders held at the government house in Minna.
According to a statement by Bologi Ibrahim, the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Bago alleged that the station was inciting the public against the government and should be profiled by security agencies.
But Amnesty International criticised the governor for targeting the media at a time when the state is facing severe security challenges.
It noted that bandit attacks and insurgency have continued to displace and endanger rural communities, while both the federal and state governments have struggled to provide adequate protection.
“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 statement read.
The rights body said the clampdown on Badeggi FM fits into a disturbing trend of media repression in Nigeria and warned that such attacks are designed to instill fear and undermine press freedom.
“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.
“Attacking Badeggi 90.1 FM is part of a wider pattern of attempts to create a climate of fear across newsrooms in Nigeria and to make it harder for journalists to do their job.
“Governor Bago must immediately withdraw his unlawful order,” it stated.
Amnesty demanded an immediate reversal of the shutdown order, emphasising that under Nigerian law, Governor Bago lacks the legal authority to close down a radio station.
Under Nigerian laws, the governor has no power to order the closure of a radio station. Choosing to bizarrely blame a radio station for the inexcusable security failures of the government is an open attack on media freedom.
“Targeting independent media is solely aimed at depriving the people of the opportunity to receive fair and objective reporting of issues affecting their lives.”
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M