Residents’ Perception of Radio Coverage of Kidnappings in Selected Towns of Akoko North-West Local Government, Ondo State, Nigeria

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume V, Issue XII, December 2021 | ISSN 2454–6186

Residents’ Perception of Radio Coverage of Kidnappings in Selected Towns of Akoko North-West Local Government, Ondo State, Nigeria

Raphael Olugbenga ABIMBOLA, Ph.D^1*, Mary Folayemi ADEBOYE^2
1,²Department of Mass Communication,
Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria
³Postal Address: P .O. Box 2632, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria.
*Corresponding Author

ABSTRACT
This study examinee residents’ perception of radio coverage of kidnappings of residents of selected towns of Akoko North-West Local Government, Ondo State, Nigeria, by bandits who are mainly herders, through the stations’ news bulletins and other programmes. Two stations operating in the state: Sunshine F.M 96.5 Alalaye, a government owned station and Adaba 88.9 FM, privately owned station were used. It adopts survey method, using questionnaire and interview guide as instruments to collect data from a sample of 255 respondents’ resident in the sleepy towns of Arigidi, Erusu, Ibaram, Ikaram, and Ajowa in the local government area. Findings revealed that respondents are, to a large extent, exposed to Sunshine F.M 9.5 Alalaye and Adaba 88.9 F. M’s news bulletins and programmes. Respondents perceive the two stations’ reportage on kidnapping as adequate but emphasise the need for a much wider network of information and government intervention in the security network of the affected areas. The study recommends that reportage of news and other programme contents that are kidnapping related should be presented in a manner to shed light on the achievement of government and its agencies towards ending the insecurity as well as sensitizing the citizens on protective and preventive measures. It also asks government to deploy a combined team of security agencies including the army, the police, the stae security network code named Amotekun and local villangte personnel.

Keywords: Perception, Kidnapping, Radio coverage, News, Programmes

Word count: 228

I.BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Nigeria, as the most populous and endowed black nation in the world in recent times, has been decked in several security challenges of insurgency, banditry, abduction (popularly referred to as kidnapping) and hostage taking. There has been frequent incidence of particular crimes, such as sectarian violence, ethno-religious conflict, political assassination, ransom kidnapping, campus cultism and electoral thuggery to human rights violations (Ezemenaka, 2018). Apparently,

Read More