Breaking: SERAP, NGE Drag Niger State Governor, NBC to Court Over Badeggi FM Intimidation
TEC News | Sunday 10th August, 2025
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) have jointly filed a lawsuit against Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umar Bago, and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) over alleged intimidation and threats to shut down Minna-based Badeggi FM.
In the suit, filed on Friday at the Federal High Court in Lagos (Suit No: FHC/L/CS/1587/2025), the two organisations are challenging what they describe as unlawful attempts to revoke the station’s licence, demolish its premises, and profile its owner, Shuaibu Badeggi.
Governor Bago had reportedly directed security operatives to seal the station and threatened to shut it down, accusing it of promoting violence and unethical practices.
SERAP and NGE are asking the court to declare that, under Section 22 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended) and Section 2(1)(t) of the NBC Act, the NBC has a legal duty to protect Badeggi FM and other broadcasting outlets in the country from undue political interference.
They also seek a perpetual injunction restraining both the governor and the NBC from harassing, intimidating, or threatening to revoke Badeggi FM’s operating licence.
According to the suit, the failure of the NBC to defend Badeggi FM against alleged arbitrary executive interference amounts to a breach of its statutory obligation to ensure fair, independent, and lawful broadcasting practices in Nigeria.
“The ongoing intimidation and threat to arbitrarily revoke the station’s licence, demolish its premises, and profile its owner are antithetical to constitutional provisions and Nigeria’s international human rights obligations,”
the suit reads in part.
The organisations argue that the actions of the Niger State government could have a chilling effect on press freedom and public debate ahead of the 2027 general elections. They further described the allegations against Badeggi FM as
“vague, unfounded, and unsubstantiated.”
Signed by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, and NGE General Secretary, Onuoha Ukeh, the statement emphasised that media outlets in Niger State should be free to report on issues of public interest without fear of reprisals.
No date has yet been fixed for the hearing of the case.
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