In a brazen overnight attack, heavily armed robbers stormed the premises of Radio Nigeria’s Prime FM 101.5 in Jimgbe, Kogi State, forcing the station off air after looting critical broadcasting equipment worth millions of naira.
The assailants, numbering over ten and armed with guns and cutlasses, reportedly operated uninterrupted for more than three hours in the early hours of Saturday, carting away essential transmission components and leaving the station inoperable.
General Manager of the station, Momoh-Jimoh Adeiza, described the incident as a major blow to the station’s operations.
“We are currently off air because our equipment has been stolen by armed criminals,” he told journalists, adding that the attack had left the facility in ruins and staff in shock.
According to him, the robbers tied up the only security guard on duty and vandalized key installations before fleeing.
“Where do we go from here now?” a visibly shaken Adeiza lamented, appealing for urgent intervention to restore the station’s services.
The security guard, Daniel Haruna, who recounted his terrifying experience, said he was blindfolded and tied to a tree by the intruders.
“I could not scream because I was helpless. They operated freely for over three hours. I have never seen anything like this before,” he said.
Items stolen during the raid include copper components of feeder lines, 22 transmitter modules, armoured cables, and generator batteries — all vital to the station’s broadcast operations.
Reacting to the development, Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, condemned the attack and described it as an act of sabotage against a critical national asset.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Fanwo assured that the state government would collaborate with security agencies to ensure the perpetrators are apprehended and prosecuted.
“We will work with the station’s management to determine the extent of the damage and investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident,” he said.
He also pledged the state’s readiness to provide necessary support to help the station recover, warning that such criminal acts must not be allowed to become the new normal.
Fanwo urged federal agencies operating in Kogi to remain vigilant and to alert the government when security support is needed.
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