Maduabuchi Idam, an activist lawyer, has criticized Governor Umar Bago for stating that preachers in the state must submit their sermons for approval before sharing them with their congregation.
Idam claimed that Bago’s order was an effort to restrict free expression and regulate religion in the state.
Given the degree of insecurity in Niger State, the activist lawyer said in a statement he signed that the governor’s order was concerning.
“The governor of Niger State’s request that clerics submit their sermons for approval prior to being delivered to the congregation is the most extreme attempt in recent history to restrict free speech and, consequently, to regulate religion,” he said.
It raises serious questions about the priorities of some Nigerian leaders to believe that a governor in a state like Niger, which is rife with insecurity, is not focused on obtaining intelligence and making calculated attempts to retake all local governments that are under siege by bandits within the state.
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