FG to Counter Illegal Broadcast with IRMS Rehabilitation

In a swift move to counter seditious broadcast by rebellious groups which is an anathema to national security, the Federal Government is set to rehabilitate all International Radio Monitoring Stations (IRMS) across the country, while warning land speculators to steer clear of IRMS property in various parts of the country.

The IRMS facility at Ipaja, Lagos covering the South-West geo-political zone is one of such stations strategically located in various parts of the country as security surveillance to monitor radio broadcast activities, so as to guide against illegal use of the radio frequency airspace for unauthorized broadcast by proscribed groups, political and ethnic motivated dissidents.

According to Victor  Oluwadamilare, SA (Media) to minister of Communications, the Federal Ministry of Communications has adequately appropriated for rehabilitation works on the IRMS facilities across the country in the 2016 Federal Government budget and has consequently warned against any illegal occupation and acquisition of any fraction of land on which these infrastructures are located.

“Because of the strategic importance of these infrastructures, the general public is warned against purchase or acquisition of any part of the monitoring stations”.

The IRMS facilities are located in Azare, Gusau, Ipaja and Ogoja, to monitor broadcast activities across the country and its borders.

This warning is coming at the heel of what the Federal Government considered as unauthorized acquisition of part of the land on which the IRMS at Ipaja, Lagos is situated, which is currently a subject of litigation in a suit No ID5764/14 between Oguntoyinbo Abiola, Falola and Illo families of Ipaja, Lagos  Vs the Hon. Minister of Lands and Hon. Minister of Communications

The Ministry unequivocally stated that the title of the land on which the Ipaja IRMS is situated is still under litigation and pending before a competent court of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, thereby forestalling anybody, group or family from encroaching upon the land acquired by the Federal Government since 1971.