Students Attack Orisun FM Radio Station, Injure Staff, Vandalise 9 Cars

Lateef Dada, Osogbo

Workers of the Orisun FM Radio station at Oke-Itase, Ile-Ife escaped being lynch by agree students of public secondary schools in Ile-Ife who bombarded the station and vandalized its properties.

Some of the staff of the station were injured by the students who claimed to be protesting the inability of the state government to pay their West African Examination Council, WAEC fee, and the two weeks ultimatum given to them to pay the fee.

About nine vehicles including three official vehicles and one Toyota Camry belonging to an official of the Federal Road Safety Commission who was at the station for a programme were vandalized.

Sources at the radio station stated that the students who stormed Oke-Itase Ile-Ife in their hundreds, armed with dangerous weapons like cutlasses, broken bottles, charms, clubs, etc .

It was gathered that the students requested to see the station Manager, Alhaji Adeoye Bakare at the entrance gate, and four of the students were allowed into the premises to see the manager.

CityMirrorNews  gathered that the students instructed the manager to immediately announce on air that Governor Rauf Aregbesola has refused to pay the WAEC fees of the students as he promised during the electioneering period.

It was learnt that Bakare resisted the move of the students to force him make the announcement and appealed to the students to calm down.

The students were said to have pelted Bakare with stones in his office for failing to do their biddings.

Bakare’s loud scream was said to have attracted other workers at the station who confronted the students and clashed with them.

While the incident was on, it was learned that a student had gone out to draw the attention of other students at the gate to the development.

The other students pulled down the gate of the station while others perforated the fence in order to force themselves into the station.

The securitymen at the gate were attacked while other staffers of the radio station escaped death.

The station immediately went off air after the “Save Our Souls” broadcast while residents of the town thronged the station to verify news of the attack.

Speaking on the incident, Bakare, the station manager who sustained injury in his mouth said he never expected that the students would attack him.

Also speaking with our correspondent, the Director General of OSBC, Prince Soji Fadehan condemned the attack saying the station had been enjoying the peace of the town.

He said necessary actions would be taken to ensure that the station is secure to avert future occurrence