Ayekooto FM, based in the Iwo Local Government Area of Osun State, and the police have declared Daniel Adefare, a 30-year-old radio presenter, wanted for absconding with the station’s property and funds worth over N1 million.
Towards the previous Christmas celebration, the station appointed Adefare as secretary of its Christmas carol committee.
Aside from being the committee secretary, he was responsible for selling tickets and soliciting public donations for the actualisation of the event.
Some of the tickets Adefare sold and donations he collected without authorisation were unaccounted for.
He later left the organisation without a formal notice and absconded with the station’s property and money, according to Akanji Musibau, the general manager of the radio station.
“We gave him some event cards to sell and he sold about 63 of the cards, which was worth over N180,000. He did not deliver the money to the organisation,” said Musibau.
“Because of that and to address other issues, the committee met and resolved that members should desist from collecting solicited money into their personal account but that of the organisation.
“On December 17, the event day, we discovered that he still collected public donations with his account and failed to declare it. We directed him to render the money but he failed to do so.
“We involved the police in Iwo and he was detained for three days. He later wrote an undertaking to refund the money on or before December ended and he was released.
“When we returned to the police to follow up, they called him in our presence but he did not answer. Any attempt by anyone to reach him has been futile.”
On Tuesday, the radio station announced publicly that Adefare was wanted by the police.
“As a radio presenter at Ayekooto FM, Daniel [Daniel Fadare] was responsible for overseeing the Christmas Funfair and Christmas Carol programme in 2024. Unfortunately, he failed to account for all the funds generated during the event. When questioned about the missing money, Daniel claimed he had used it for personal expenses,” the station posted on its Facebook account.
“Additionally, it was reported that he solicited money and materials from external parties under the guise of representing Ayekooto FM. Since February 15, 2025, Daniel Adefare has gone missing, and the station has not been able to ascertain his whereabouts.
“Despite the allegation being reported to the police authority and making numerous attempts to contact him and his alleged family, there have been no successful outcomes.
“We are notifying the public that Daniel Adefare, who claims to be from Ile-Ife, Osun State, is wanted by the police.”
When contacted for comments, Adefare stated that the money in question was N270,000 and not over N1 million as claimed by the station.
“The money was not N1 million. The initial report they made to the police was N500,000. But that is untrue. It was N270,000 and that was the amount I wrote in my undertaking in December to pay. My December salary, which was N49,000, was devoted to the debt. In January, I paid another N38,000,” Adefare said.
“As we speak, I have only N183,000 to pay them. I am committed to paying it soon.”
The journalist denied absconding from work, saying that he travelled to Ile-Ife, his home town, on a weekend and became sick.
He stated that he did not inform anybody at the organisation about his sickness and how soon he would return to work.
“Truly, I did not inform anyone that I was sick and when I would return but Musibau, formerly head of administration, knew I travelled. Everyone knows that I travel to Ile-Ife every weekend,” he added.
“Some management staff are aware of a medical condition I have been treating for some time. I did not leave Iwo with an intention not to return to work. There is no other property in my care other than my official identity card.
“I was traumatised because of the arrest. After I was released, I was not comfortable at the office again as co-staff were saying different things about me. My fanbase was destroyed.”
When the station’s management was presented with Adefare’s response, Musibau insisted that the amount was not N270,000.
“Why has he not been picking calls from the police? He had been ignoring my calls and that of his colleagues. He responded to the public inquiry because of our decision to make it public. Before this situation came up, he had taken a loan from the organisation and he is yet to fully repay it. He is yet to return his official identity card and reporter’s jacket.”
Source: FIJ.NG
