PROGRESS FM GOMBE ATTACKED; JAY FM JOS SHUTDOWN
PROGRESS FM GOMBE ATTACKED.
Suspected political thugs have attacked Lafiyawo community in Gombe State, destroying a private radio station, Progress FM, located along Airport Road.
Local media reports also have it that eight shops and two vehicles were also set ablaze in Jekadafari Quarters of the state capital as part of the incident.
Eyewitnesses, say the thugs were part of a convoy in a rally organised to welcome Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo from Gombe Airport to the metropolis around 5: 30pm.They added that it took the effort of youth marshals, who were also part of the convoy to prevent the youths from pulling down the gate of the station.
The manager of Progress FM, Hajiya Sadiya Ibrahim said the attackers hurled stones and smashed the windows of the radio station during the attack. She also said the gate of the station was damaged as the youth made attempt to gain access into the station premises.
However, Director of Media of PDP Campaign Council in the state, Dahiru Hassan Kera said the youths only threw few stones and were stopped by the party leaders when they became aware of the incident.
Gombe State Police Commissioner Mr Bello Makwashi, who confirmed the incident said investigation into the attack was still ongoing.
Many people sustained various non-life-threatening injuries, while one person with apparently more serious injuries was on admission in hospital.
The Managing Director of the radio station, Alhaji Ibrahim Biu, however blamed the attack on thugs attached to Gov. Ibrahim Dankwambo alleging “they were throwing stones and making attempts to gain entrance into the compound”.
“`So I quickly called the commissioner of police and the Director of State Security Service who responded swiftly” he said.
Local media are reporting that the PDP Director of Media, Dahiru Kera denied the thugs that attacked the community and the radio station were not from PDP.
Kera said the thugs had initially attacked the governor’s convoy on his way from the airport, adding that two cars in the entourage were burnt.
He attributed the cancelled rally organised to welcome the governor back to the state, to the development.
JAY FM JOS SHUTDOWN.
In an earlier development, Jay FM a popular radio station in Jos, Plateau state, was shutdown by regulators the National Broadcasting Commission NBC for alleged breach of broadcasting code.
The management of the station however alleged that NBC connived with the Department of State Services DSS to completely shut down its broadcast operations in the state.
At a press conference in Jos on Monday, Clinton Garuba, MD of the station, accused the NBC of intimidating its staff with the DSS and questioned the zonal office of the NBC on how it “unilaterally ordered the shutdown without approval from the national body”.
Garuba said: “The Jos zonal office only said it has been directed shut down operations of the station on orders from above, but to us this is a typical case of the voice of Jacob and the hands of Esau.
Explaining further, the MD said the station had received letters of warning and fine on two separate issues on February 16 and 18 respectively.
“While the former was a warning for airing a ‘News Sound Bite’ by Bishop David Abioye charging his followers on how they should vote, the latter was a N100,000 fine for airing a news commentary entitled ‘does Buhari deserve a second term?’ authored by a listener”.
Garuba said the reason for shutting the station was not tenable, adding that the action was targeted at preventing it from covering the March 9 governorship and State House of Assembly election.
He insisted that there “are forces within Plateau state government that are not comfortable with the station and had boasted that they would shut down the broadcast outfit before the governorship and State Assembly polls.
Garuba urged the NBC to reopen the station before the governorship election to enable it inform the electorate and mobilise them to partake in the election.