Mr. Tokunbo Opebi, the acting chairman of Akure-based radio station Breeze 91.9 FM, has been accused of physically assaulting former staff member Mercy Okafor after she submitted her resignation letter.
It was learnt that the incident which took place on Tuesday at the premises of the station located along Ijoka Road in Akure has further exposed the abusive nature of some media owners in Nigeria.
Source privy to the incident mentioned that Okafor joined the station as a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) corps member but was offered employment by the station after she completed her service.
“Mercy Okafor is a bundle of talent. She is Igbo but she has a Bachelor’s degree in Yoruba language.I heard her mum is from Ile-Ife; her versatility and her command of Yoruba Language attracted people to her. They begged her to stay after her service.” the source said.
According to the source, when the station’s accountant, Bisola Agbayewa, gave birth and went on maternity leave, Okafor was asked to fill in for her, which she did admirably.
When the leave expired, the accountant did not return and instead resigned, so Okafor became both an accountant and an OAP at the station.
“Breeze 91.9 FM has the worst payment package of any radio station in Akure, Ondo State’s capital,” the source claimed.
Up to 2024, some OAP earn as little as 25,000 Naira per month, while temporary workers are paid as little as 10,000 Naira, in direct violation of Nigerian labour rules and the Minimum Wage Act.
These payments are not made on time or as scheduled. According to a credible source, some of the workers had not received full payment for the month of December as of February 5th, 2025.
According to the source, Okafor submitted her resignation letter and notified the station’s management of her plan to leave the organisation. When she finally turned in the company’s data, all hell broke loose.
The chairman reportedly told her she should have stayed until the station found a replacement, but she told him she had already given the station notice, which they had ignored.
Infuriated by her courage, Tokunbo allegedly withdrew his shoe and struck the lady in the head before unleashing a barrage of blows on her.
“It took the Intervention of Bimpa Dele-Mogaji and Joyin Johnson to free Okafor from the hands of Tokunbo who was throwing punches at the young lady,” the source said.
“Tokunbo is responsible for almost all the woes that have happened to that station. If you stay you won’t get paid regularly, if you leave you might get arrested on trumped up allegations. Who has he not arrested and detained, from former engineer to marketer to OAP?” he lamented.
“If you honourably tendered your resignation letter before the end of the month you will never get the salary for that month or any other outstanding pay.”
Mercy Ekene Okafor who is the victim of the recent physical assault has reportedly received treatments for internal injuries sustained from the assault.
Her mother and some relatives came to Akure on Thursday to take her home to Ile-Ife for treatment.
“No allegation of financial misappropriation was brought against her, Tokunbo simply said he beat her up like that because he didn’t like the tone with which she responded to him,” the source said.
Attempts made to reach the general manager of the station Sunday Ajongbolo and the acting chairman were unsuccessful.
