Kogi State Radio Station Attacked, Thieves Steal Vital Broadcasting Gear

Radio Nigeria’s Prime 101.5FM in Jimgbe, Kogi State, has been forced off the air following a sophisticated robbery operation in the early hours of Saturday. More than 10 armed men reportedly held the station under siege for over three hours, making off with vital broadcasting equipment worth millions of naira.
The brazen attack has crippled the station’s ability to transmit, leaving a significant void in local media coverage.
Momoh-Jimoh Adeiza, the general manager of Radio Nigeria Prime 101.5FM, described the incident as a “major attack.” He confirmed that staff arriving Saturday morning discovered the extensive damage and theft. “We are currently off air because our equipment has been stolen by armed criminals,” Mr. Adeiza stated, lamenting the dire situation the station now faces. He revealed that the lone on-duty security guard was tied up by the robbers.
Daniel Haruna, the security guard, recounted the terrifying ordeal. He said the criminals, armed with guns and cutlasses, arrived around 1 a.m. “When they pointed a torchlight on me, they immediately gripped me and tied me to a tree and blindfolded my eyes,” Mr. Haruna stated. “I could not scream because I was helpless. They operated for more than three hours before they left our station. I have never experienced this kind of thing in my life before.”
Among the critical items stolen were copper parts of feeder lines, 22 pieces of modules, armoured cables, and generator batteries – all essential components for radio transmission.
Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, condemned the “vandalism” of the federal station’s equipment. In a statement released Saturday, Mr. Fanwo pledged the state government’s collaboration with security agencies to apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
“We will work with the management of the station to ascertain the degree of vandalism and also get clues on what led to the unfortunate incident,” Mr. Fanwo stated. He reiterated the state government’s commitment to protecting all federal agencies within Kogi and vowed to prevent such incidents from becoming a “new normal.”
The state government has also offered possible support to Radio Nigeria Prime 101.5FM during this trying period and urged all federal agencies in the state to remain security conscious and report any need for assistance.