Nigerian Broadcasting Commission Summons Private Radio ‘Badeggi FM’ To Abuja Amid Face-Off With Niger Government

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has invited the management of Badeggi Radio Broadcasting Service, Minna, Niger State, to a meeting over issues arising from “monitoring reports” on the station.

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In a letter signed by the Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Pauline Ehusani, on behalf of the Director General, the Commission stated that the meeting was to discuss observations from “monitoring reports.”

“The National Broadcasting Commission hereby invites you and the Management staff of your broadcast station for a meeting, aimed at discussing observations from monitoring reports on your station.”

According to the letter, the meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, 16th September, 2025, at 1:00 pm, at the NBC Headquarters boardroom, Plot 20, Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Asokoro District, Abuja.

The Commission further directed: “Please, ensure that attendance is in person.”

It would be recalled that SaharaReporters previously reported that the move for an out of court settlement in the case between Niger State Government and Badeggi FM collapsed, prompting the presiding judge to indicate his withdrawal from the matter.

The case, with suit number NSHC/M/0296/2025, was filed on 5th August 2025, before Justice Mohammed Mohammed, a vacation judge of Minna High Court number four.

Earlier, counsel to the respondents, Jacob Johnson Usman SAN, had informed the court on Monday, 25th August 2025, that the Niger State Government was exploring an amicable resolution. He explained:

“I have had a discussion with my clients the governor of Niger State and Attorney General of the Niger State, that we need to resolve the matter and he agreed. And the counsel to the plaintiffs also agreed that the matter be resolved in the best interest of his clients. And we informed the court as such. We have taken a date for 3rd of September 2025 to report back for out of court settlement.”

However, when the matter came up on Wednesday, 3rd September 2025, counsel to the plaintiffs, Barrister Philip Emmanuel, announced that the settlement had collapsed.

“My lord. Is unfortunate that the out of court settlement as requested in the last sitting has failed,” he told the court.

Supporting his colleague, Barrister Philip A.O confirmed that the negotiation had failed, though he noted that other avenues for resolution were still being explored.

Following the disclosure, Justice Mohammed Mohammed stated that he could no longer continue with the case.

“As you know I’m a Vacation Judge. The vacation will resume by next week. I will now be on vacation, the Chief Judge will either re-assign the case as the case maybe. I will now adjourn the case till cinadel until the Chief decide on the next line of action,” the judge declared.

The matter would now be referred back to the Chief Judge of Niger State for reassignment.

In August, SaharaReporters reported that the Niger State government under Governor Mohammed Bago informed the Niger State High Court of its intention to settle a legal dispute with privately owned Badeggi FM Radio out of court.

This development follows the governor’s directive to shut down the station over allegations of public incitement.

Governor Bago also ordered the Niger State Commissioner of Police and the Commissioner for Homeland Security to profile the owner of the radio station.

The shutdown order attracted condemnation from media organisations and civil society groups, prompting Badeggi FM to file a suit challenging the action.

The radio station’s counsel, Philip Emmanuel, filed the case at the Minna High Court on 5 August 2025 to seek enforcement of the station’s fundamental rights.

In same August, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) filed a lawsuit against Niger State Governor Umar Bago and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) over what they described as the “ongoing intimidation of Badeggi FM Radio, Minna, and the threat to shut down the station”.

They accused the state government of weaponising the “NBC and law enforcement agents to further crack down on the station and its owner, Shuaibu Badeggi”.

SERAP and NGE lamented that Governor Bago had recently threatened to revoke Badeggi FM’s licence, seal its premises, demolish its facilities, and profile its owner, in apparent retaliation for broadcasts he found unfavourable.

The privately owned station and its proprietor have since faced sustained threats, intimidation, and harassment.

In the suit number FHC/L/CS/1587/2025 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Lagos, SERAP and NGE are asking the court to determine “whether by section 22 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and section 2(1)(t) of the NBC Act, the NBC has the legal duty to protect Badeggi FM from the ongoing intimidation from the governor.”

SERAP and NGE are asking the court for “a declaration that by the combined provisions of section 22 of the Nigerian Constitution and section 2(1)(t) of the NBC Act, the NBC has the legal duty to protect Badeggi FM station and other broadcasting outlets in Nigeria from any threat, intimidation and harassment.”

SERAP and NGE are also seeking “an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Niger state governor and NBC from further harassing, intimidating and/or threatening to shut down Badeggi FM radio, revoke its licence and profile the station’s owner.”