Niger Govt Moves for Out-of-Court Settlement in Badeggi FM Shutdown Case

By Correspondent in Minna.

Governor Mohammed Umar Bago.

The Niger State Government has opted for an out-of-court settlement in the legal dispute over the shutdown and license revocation of Badeggi 90.1 FM, a privately owned radio station.

Governor Mohammed Umar Bago had, during an expanded caucus meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Government House, Minna, ordered the closure of the station over alleged professional misconduct. The meeting, which endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term, was attended by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris Malagi, and other party stalwarts. At the event, the governor vowed to take action against those he described as antagonistic to his administration’s policies and programmes.

Following the directive, Badeggi FM’s legal team, led by Barrister Philip Emmanuel, filed suit number NSHCM/0296/2025 before Justice Mohammed Mohammed of the Minna High Court 4. On August 5, 2025, the court granted an interim injunction in favour of Badeggi FM, its parent company Badeggi Broadcasting Service Ltd, and its Managing Director, Mohammed Shu’aibu Badeggi, restraining the state government and other respondents from taking any further action detrimental to the station’s operations.

At the resumed hearing on Monday, August 11, Counsel to the defendants, Jacob Johnson Usman, SAN, informed the court of ongoing discussions with the plaintiffs’ counsel toward resolving the matter amicably in the interest of peace and the people of Niger State.

“I have discussed with my clients ,the Governor of Niger State and the Attorney General, on the need to settle this matter out of court, and they have agreed,” Usman said.

He added that the plaintiffs’ counsel had also consented to the proposal.

Both parties are scheduled to return to court on September 3, 2025, to report on the progress of the settlement talks.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.