Gunmen attack Yinka Ayefele’s radio station, cart away valuables

Three gunmen have attacked an Ibadan-based radio station, Fresh FM, owned by popular gospel singer, Yinka Ayefele.

The robbers invaded the station around 6:20 a.m. on Sunday while a live programme was on the air.

A staff member of the station confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES.

Valuable items such as; telephones, laptops, ATM cards, and gold jewellery among others were taken away during the less than 30 minutes operation.

This is the first time the station will be coming under a robbery attack in its six years of existence in Ibadan.

Since the commencement of operations, Fresh FM has opened radio stations in Ogun, Ekiti, Lagos, Osun, Kwara, and Ondo while it recently added an urban sister station: Blast 98.3 FM in Ibadan.

In 2018, Ayefele’s music house which housed Fresh FM’s studio was partly bulldozed by the Oyo state government on grounds that nd the jewellery breached the physical planning law of the state.

But the station’s owner insisted that he got every necessary document and approval before embarking on the construction of the building.

He added that the attack on the studio by the then state government was an attack on the Nigerian press.

Later, the then Oyo state government, under deceased Abiola Ajimobi and Ayefele reached a truce.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the robbery incident didn’t affect the station’s daily broadcast.

Mr Ayefele’s spokesperson, Samson Akindele, confirmed the incident, noting that the robbers were all captured by the company’s CCTV camera, adding that the video has been handed over to the police and the DSS.

“They took some of the stations and staff belongings such as; recorders, phones, laptops among others.

“We are sure the security agencies will do their work and these culprits will be brought to book.”

Contacted, spokesperson of the Oyo state police command, Adewale Osifeso, a superintendent of police, said investigations had commenced and updates will be given as it unfolds