Facts have emerged as to why the Niger State Governor Umaru Bago ordered the closure of a Minna-based FM station, Baddegi Radio.
Recall that Mr. Bago had during a meeting of the All Progressives Congress, APC, on Friday, accused the radio outfit of inciting the public against the government.
Thereafter, the governor, through a statement by his chief press secretary, Bologi Ibrahim, ordered the state Commissioner of Police and Commissioner of Homeland Security to close down the building housing the radio station.
He also directed the security agencies to profile the proprietor of the station over alleged treason and “anti-peace” reports.
The governor’s actions have, however, received waves of condemnation from both national and international organisations, including Amnesty International, the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, and the Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE.
DAILY NIGERIAN gathered that the recent outburst of the governor was caused by an appearance of a guest who called for the immediate past chairman of FIRS, Mohammed Nami, to vie for the governorship seat in 2027.
Speaking with DAILY NIGERIAN, the Director of Operations of Badeggi FM, Abubakar Shuaib, said all the allegations levelled against the radio station by the government were bogus.
He, however, implored Mr Bago to channel his complaints through proper channels, rather than directing security operatives to harass the owner and staff of the radio station.
“We are a people’s radio station, and every day during our programs, we discussed different problems plaguing our state, including the frequent trips of the governor and armed banditry.
“And of course you know the government doesn’t like accountability, so they are always enraged with some of the issues we discussed,” he stressed.
Mr Shua’ib said if the governor was aggrieved by its operations, “the right thing to do is to write to the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, for investigation”.
“NBC has a schedule of our programs, and we are being monitored every day.”
He also dismissed claims by the commissioner for Information, Binta Mamman, that the radio station doesn’t have an operational license.
When asked if the attack could be politically motivated, he responded in the affirmative.
“Yes, the whole issue started on Thursday. We had a guest on our breakfast show who happens to be an aide to former chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, Muhammad Nami, and he rolled out some of his achievements and the reason he was qualified to aspire. So this triggered the outburst from the governor,” he added.