The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, has strongly condemned the directive issued by Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, ordering the immediate shutdown of Badeggi FM 90.1, a privately-owned radio station in Minna.
In a statement yesterday, the Association described the move as “executive rascality of the highest order” and a flagrant abuse of power that threatens constitutional democracy and the rule of law. The shutdown directive, reportedly executed through the Commissioner of Police and the Commissioner for Homeland Security, allegedly includes profiling the station’s owner and marking the premises for demolition.
The NBA stressed that the Governor lacks any constitutional or legal authority to suspend or revoke broadcast licences, or to shut down media outlets. It reaffirmed that only the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has the statutory mandate to regulate broadcasting in Nigeria — including licence revocation — and must do so only through established legal procedures. 
“The Nigerian Constitution guarantees freedom of expression under Section 39, which includes the right to operate and access media. No individual, regardless of their office, has the power to arbitrarily shut down a media house without due process,” the NBA President stated.
He further warned that security agencies must not allow themselves to be used as instruments of political oppression. “The Commissioner of Police and all law enforcement agencies are bound by the Constitution and must not enforce unlawful executive orders,” Osigwe added.
The NBA affirmed that Governor Bago’s directive is entirely unlawful and of no legal effect, Security agencies must reject unconstitutional instructions that infringe on citizens’ rights, All matters relating to media regulation must follow due process through the NBC and the move against Badeggi FM is an attack on press freedom and Nigeria’s democratic fabric.
The Association called on Governor Bago to immediately reverse the directive and desist from any further unconstitutional actions. It also urged all levels of government to respect constitutional boundaries and protect press freedom.
“A free and independent media is not a privilege — it is a constitutional right and a cornerstone of any democratic society,” Osigwe concluded.
