LAGOS—Radio Kudirat operated as a clandestine station throughout the 1990s, providing Nigerians a platform for pro-democracy messaging during a brutal military dictatorship. Journalists, activists and engineers risked their lives to establish and maintain the broadcasts.
The military government placed a $5 million bounty on those running the station. Despite the threat, Radio Kudirat continued operating, challenging the repressive regime.
The station was named after Kudirat Abiola, wife of Moshood Abiola, who won Nigeria's June 1993 presidential election. The military government imprisoned Moshood Abiola after he declared himself president. The arrest sparked widespread protests across Nigeria.
Kudirat Abiola became a vocal advocate for her husband's release and campaigned for international sanctions against the regime. In June 1996, unknown gunmen killed her, underscoring the dangers faced by those who challenged the dictatorship and intensifying pro-democracy movements within the country.
More than three decades after the station's founding, Africa correspondent Ore Ogunbiyi is documenting the full account of Radio Kudirat, reuniting with individuals who established and maintained it during that era.
