The International Press Institute Nigeria has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to caution Niger State Governor Mohammed Umar Bago over repeated attacks on journalists.
In a statement signed by Deputy President Fidelis Mbah and Legal Adviser Tobi Soniyi, IPI Nigeria described the recent assault on Nigerian Television Authority reporter Musa Mikail as “the latest in a disturbing trend of blatant violations of press freedom and hostility toward journalists by Governor Bago and some officials under his administration.”
Mikail, who was covering a Ramadan Iftar at the palace of the Etsu Nupe in Bida on March 13, 2026, said he and his cameraman were standing in the event when the governor’s Chief Security Officer, Shehu Abdullahi Maikano, approached them. “I explained that we were not obstructing anyone and we are carrying out our professional duties. Despite this, he pushed me, and other security operatives attacked me and forced me out of the event,” Mikail said.
The statement recalled that in previous incidents, a Prestige FM reporter was detained by the Niger State police, Badeggi FM Radio was closed, and freelance journalists Ibrahim Ndamitso and Yakubu Mustapha Bina were summoned or interrogated for their reporting.
“Governor Bago has repeatedly attempted to suppress freedom of expression and intimidate journalists,” the statement said. “These acts cannot continue.”
IPI Nigeria also called on Tunji Disu to “immediately launch an investigation into this incident and sanction Governor Bago’s CSO who ordered the assault.”
The organization noted that these repeated violations led to Governor Bago’s inclusion in IPI Nigeria’s “Book of Infamy,” which documents press freedom violations and intimidation of media practitioners.
“The protection of journalists is essential for democracy,” the group said. “All public officials must respect the rights of media workers to operate freely and safely.”
