The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) have filed a lawsuit against the Governor of Niger State, Umaru Bago, and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), seeking to halt the alleged intimidation of BadeggiFM Radio, Minna.
The suit, filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos on behalf of SERAP and NGE by their lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare, Oluwakemi Agunbiade and Andrew Nwankwo,
follows recent remarks by Governor Bago in which he threatened to revoke the station’s licence, seal its premises, demolish its building, and profile its owner, Shu’aibu Badeggi. The governor had accused the station of unethical conduct and incitement of the public against the government.
SERAP and NGE are asking the court to determine whether, under Section 22 of the 1999 Constitution and Section 2(1)(t) of the NBC Act, the commission is obligated to protect the station from Executive interference. They are seeking a declaration that NBC has a legal duty to safeguard BadeggiFM and other media outlets from threats, intimidation, and harassment.
The organisations are also requesting a perpetual injunction to prevent the governor and the NBC from carrying out any further actions aimed at shutting down BadeggiFM, revoking its licence, or targeting its owner.
In court filings, the applicants argue that the NBC’s failure to defend the station from what they describe as arbitrary interference breaches its statutory responsibility to maintain fair and lawful broadcasting practices. They state that the alleged threats, demolition order, and profiling of the station’s owner are unlawful and violate rights to freedom of expression, access to information, and media freedom.
“The allegations of inciting violence against BadeggiFM and its owner are vague, unfounded and unsubstantiated and apparently made to silence the radio station,” the suit reads. It adds that intimidation of media outlets under claims of national security breaches constitutional protections and international human rights obligations.
SERAP and NGE maintain that a free press is essential to public discourse, especially in the lead-up to the 2027 general elections, and that journalists must be able to report on issues of public interest without fear of reprisals. They contend that any restriction on media operations must be lawful, necessary, and proportionate.
No hearing date has been set for the case.
