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The International Press Centre (IPC), through its Safety and Protection of Journalists (SPJ) Hub, has condemned what it describes as the illegal and undemocratic closure of Badegi 90.1FM by the Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago. The group is demanding the immediate and unconditional reopening of the radio station.
According to a statement released by IPC’s Press Freedom Officer, Melody Akinjiyan, the shutdown order was issued by Governor Bago during an expanded All Progressives Congress (APC) meeting on Friday, August 1, in what is believed to be a reaction to a recent broadcast by the station that was allegedly critical of the state government.
Reacting to the development, IPC’s Executive Director, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, described the governor’s action as “a pure abuse of executive powers and an abysmal display of lack of regard for the media institution.”
“Assuming without conceding that the station committed an infraction, the state governor should have taken his grievance to any of the relevant media regulatory bodies,” Arogundade stated, emphasizing due process as the proper channel for addressing perceived media infractions.
The IPC-SPJ Hub expressed deep concern over the growing trend of government officials targeting media organizations, warning that such actions are reminiscent of military-era suppression of press freedom.
“We are no longer in a military regime where fear and intimidation is the order of the day,” the statement reads. “We operate a democratic system where freedom of speech, expression, and thought are constitutionally guaranteed, and any limitation on such rights must only be determined by a competent court of law.”
IPC has therefore called on the Niger State Government to immediately reverse the closure order and allow Badegi 90.1FM to resume operations without conditions.
The organization also urged all public officials to desist from any form of crackdown on the media, insisting that press freedom is a non-negotiable pillar of Nigeria’s democracy.
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