The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has reacted to the controversial shutdown of Badeggi FM, a private radio station in Minna, Niger State, asserting that only the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has the legal mandate to suspend broadcasting licenses in Nigeria.
His clarification comes amid growing public outrage following the directive by Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago to immediately shut down the station for allegedly engaging in unethical broadcasting practices and inciting the public against his administration.
Grassroots Parrot reports that Governor Bago on Thursday ordered the sealing of the station’s premises, the confiscation of its broadcasting license, and the profiling of its owner. He also directed the Commissioner for Homeland Security and the Commissioner of Police to enforce the closure.
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The move has sparked intense backlash from civil society groups, journalists, and media rights advocates, who have described it as an authoritarian overreach and a direct attack on press freedom.
Amnesty International Nigeria, in a statement, condemned the action as “lawless and repressive,” insisting that no state governor has the constitutional authority to shut down a broadcast station.
Minister Idris, through his Special Assistant on Media, Rabiu Ibrahim, acknowledged the widespread concerns raised by stakeholders over the incident in a response issued Saturday, August 2. He affirmed the importance of upholding due process and respecting institutional boundaries.
“The suspension of broadcasting licenses falls within the purview of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), as stipulated by law,” the minister said.
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While welcoming the Niger State Government’s decision to lodge a formal complaint over Badeggi FM’s alleged conduct, the minister emphasized that “the NBC has the necessary mechanisms to investigate and resolve such matters fairly and impartially.”
Idris called for restraint from all sides, urging stakeholders to allow the regulatory body to carry out its statutory duties without political interference.