THE International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria has justified its decision to enter Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, into its newly launched Nigeria Book of Infamy, a registry for blacklisting public officials accused of violating press freedom.
The development came shortly after the names were announced at the 2025 IPI Nigeria Conference and Annual General Meeting in Abuja, where Vice President Kashim Shettima and the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, unveiled the book on December 2.
The initiative according to the organiser was designed to publicly identify state actors who suppress journalists or interfere with constitutionally guaranteed media rights.
The IPI Nigeria President, Musikilu Mojeed, had disclosed during the conference that the first set of entries would include the two governors and the police chief, citing “repeated excesses against the media” despite several engagements.
Following the public announcement, IPI Nigeria released a detailed statement on Thursday outlining the grounds for the blacklisting.
Bago’s closure of Badegi FM, harassment of journalists
The institute accused Governor Mohammed Bago of presiding over a pattern of intimidation against journalists and media houses in Niger State, with the most glaring being the closure of Badegi 90.1 FM in Minna on August 1, 2025.
According to the statement, the governor, while addressing an APC meeting, directed the Commissioner for Homeland Security and the Commissioner of Police to seal the independent station and profile its owner over alleged criticism of his administration.
The organisation said its August 3 condemnation and subsequent engagements with the state government were ignored.
Although the station was later reopened after widespread public outrage, the institute said the harassment continued.
This prompted another letter to the governor on November 3, which was also ignored.
The group cited earlier incidents as part of what it described as a “troubling pattern” including the three-day detention of journalist Yakubu Mustapha in January 2025 and the assault on VOA correspondent Mustapha Nasiru Batsari in 2023.
“Governor Bago’s conduct is undemocratic, unconstitutional, and unacceptable. For these reasons, he is hereby listed in the IPI Nigeria Book of Infamy,” the statement added.
Egbetokun enabling police harassment of journalists
The IGP’s inclusion followed what IPI Nigeria called a sustained pattern of police abuse against journalists under his watch.
It cited the arrest and repeated summons of Media Room Hub publisher, Azuka Ogujiuba, over her reporting on a land dispute currently before the courts. Ogujiuba was detained twice and compelled to travel repeatedly from Lagos to Abuja for interrogation, despite no legal basis for the harassment.
The IPI said that instead of intervening to stop the abuses, several other cases of unlawful arrests and assaults occurred across state commands, including those involving Abdulaziz Aliyu in Kano, Nasir Yelwa in Abuja, and FIJ reporter Sodeeq Atanda in Ekiti.
The institute added that a formal letter sent to the IGP on September 30 was ignored.
Under his leadership, IPI said, “a culture of impunity has flourished in police interactions with journalists,” adding that failure to halt the pattern amounted to dereliction of constitutional duty.
“For failing to uphold his constitutional duties and allowing systematic media repression, Inspector-General Kayode Egbetokun is hereby listed in the IPI Nigeria Book of Infamy,” it added.
Umo Eno kept Channels TV journalists barred for months
Also, Governor Umo Eno’s sanction stemmed from his administration’s expulsion of Channels Television reporters, Christopher Moffat and Kufre Ikpe, from the Government House Press Centre on May 24, 2025.
The journalists were barred after reporting an “undemocratic remark” by the governor.
The IPI said its immediate condemnation was followed by months of engagement with the Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah, and the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ekerete Udoh, but the ban has continued for seven months.
The governor failed to reply to a letter written to him by the institute on October 2.
“The continued exclusion of Channels Television reporters constitutes a direct assault on press freedom and violates constitutional guarantees under Sections 22 and 39.
“For refusing to reverse his administration’s repressive actions and for perpetuating a climate hostile to journalists, Governor Umo Eno is hereby listed in the IPI Nigeria Book of Infamy,” the statement added.
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