A Media Arts lecturer at the University of Abuja, Dr Adinoyi Ojo Onukaba, has strongly condemned the bombing of Tao FM radio station in Okene, Kogi State, calling it "an attempt by some evil forces to silence the voice of the people".
"Since it started operation about three years ago, Tao FM has been a powerful medium through which the people of Kogi Central Senatorial District share news and information about their own community and about the rest of Nigeria. It has created a vibrant, committed and united community of listeners", Onukaba said in a statement he personally signed and released in Abuja yesterday.
"Tao FM, a privately owned radio station dedicated to serving and uplifting the community, has had within so short a time a profound impact on the people of Kogi Central. Its programmes have kept the community well informed, educated and entertained. It has been used to mobilize the community for the attainment of political, economic and social goals. The station contributed in no small measure to the peaceful, violence-free polls witnessed in the area recently".
Onukaba, a former managing director of the Daily Times of Nigeria Plc and media adviser to ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, called the Kogi State Government and security agencies in the state to find, arrest and diligently prosecute the perpetrators of this crime.
He called on the state government to assist the station to replace its bombed broadcast equipment and repair the damaged building and compensate those who lost their lives.
'Kogi State needs Tao radio. Nigeria needs its powerful voice to galvanize the people towards achieving national development objectives. Freedom of speech is a fundamental human right. Whoever disagrees with any of the station's programmes should express his/her views peacefully and in a civilized manner without recourse to violence", Onukaba added.
He prayed for the souls of those who died in the attack and for the quick recovery of the injured. He asked the owners of the station not to be discouraged by this temporary setback.
"We should do everything humanly possible to bring the station back in operation with tighter security around its personnel and equipment. Tao FM cannot be silenced. It has become a Kogi Central institution. It must not be allowed to die."
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