The head office of Fresh FM Nigeria, located in the Challenge area of Ibadan, Oyo State, was gutted by a devastating fire on Friday evening, resulting in severe damage to key facilities.
Samson Akindele, the station’s group head of Corporate Affairs, confirmed in a statement that the studios of Fresh 105.9 FM and Blast 98.3 FM were badly burnt, along with nearby offices including the newsroom, transmitter/server room, and several vital pieces of broadcast equipment.
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A staff member of the station, Samuel Arugboboisi, raised the alarm about the fire at 7.35 p.m. on Friday on his Facebook page, appealing to emergency responders and the public for urgent intervention.
Mr Akindele said the cause of the fire is still unknown, and the full extent of the damage has not yet been quantified.
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The station has, however, expressed deep gratitude to members of the public who rendered immediate assistance during the emergency.
“We heartily appreciate every good-spirited Nigerian who joined us in fighting the fire. From the residents around our studio complex who were the first responders, to passersby and the officials of the Oyo Fire Service. We thank everyone for their assistance during the emergency,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, no casualties have been reported and investigations into the incident are expected to begin shortly.
Fresh FM
Fresh FM is a prominent media house in South-west Nigeria, known for its vibrant programming and wide listenership. It is owned by popular musician and broadcaster, Yinka Ayefele.
The building housing Mr Ayefele’s enterprises, including Merry Makers’ Band, Tiwantiwa Radio, Blast FM and Fresh FM, was engulfed in flames around 7:30 pm, the Guardian Newspaper reported.
A staff membe of the station, Samuel Arugboboisi, raised the alarm about the fire at 7.35 p.m. on Saturday on his Facebook page, appealing to emergency responders and the public for urgent intervention.
“Fresh FM is currently on fire! We urgently need the Fire Service to respond immediately. Please spread the word and alert the nearest station,” he wrote.
He announced in another Facebook post at 10.24 a.m. on Saturday that the radio station was back on air. He thanked Nigerians and residents of Ibadan for their continued support.
“After the fire incident last night, Fresh FM is back on air! This station is too innovative, too resilient, and truly unstoppable,” he wrote.
However, attempts to dial into the station’s online stream proved unsuccessful as Fresh FM remained off-air at the time of reporting.
Reflecting on the fire outbreak in another post on Saturday, Mr Arugboboisi recalled another paralysing incident the radio station faced this month seven yeaers ago, when it was demolished by the administration of the then-Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi.
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“Fresh FM Ibadan has once again been struck by tragedy in the month of August. In August 2018, the station faced demolition. Now, seven years later, just as preparations were underway to celebrate our 10th anniversary, a devastating fire broke out on August 15, 2025,” he wrote.
The Oyo State Government reconstructed the radio station within four months after demolishing it.
Mr Ajimobi’s administration completed the reconstruction just months to the end of his tenure as governor.
The former governor died from coronavirus-related complications in June 2020.
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