Rights Group Slams Niger Governor Over Badeggi FM Shutdown
Human rights organisation Global Rights has condemned the closure of Badeggi FM by Niger State Governor Umar Bago, describing the move as “illegal, undemocratic and authoritarian.”
In a strongly worded statement, Executive Director Abiodun Baiyewu accused the governor of a “pattern of repressive actions” aimed at silencing journalists and shrinking civic space in the state.
Governor Bago claimed the station was promoting violence and incitement, but Global Rights dismissed this as an unfounded excuse to muzzle independent reporting.
The group linked the closure to a series of incidents under the governor’s watch including the reported withholding of journalists’ salaries after coverage of a palace protest, threats to media workers from state officials, and past crackdowns on dissent.
The statement also cited controversial directives and incidents involving the governor, from ordering arrests over dreadlocks to instructing aides to assault a cleric, as evidence of what it called a “growing authoritarian streak.”
Global Rights demanded the immediate reopening of Badeggi FM and an end to the intimidation of journalists and civil society. “The people of Niger State deserve leadership that respects their rights, not one that tramples them,” Baiyewu said.
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