EFCC confirms raid on Enugu radio station, reveals why staff were arrested

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has addressed and confirmed the raid on Urban 94.5FM, a well-known radio station in Enugu.

AFRIPOST gathered that on Tuesday the anti-graft agency stormed the station on Monday evening during a live broadcast, allegedly seizing equipment worth millions of naira and arresting some workers, including a presenter.

However, speaking with SaharaReporters over the phone, Dele Oyewale, the Commission’s Head of Media and Publicity, clarified the situation.

According to Oyewale, the EFCC’s Enugu Zonal Command only went to the station to arrest a journalist involved in a Ponzi scheme after denying and refusing the commission’s invitation.

According to him, the suspect, whose identity was not published, was apprehended, given a statement, and released immediately.

Oyewale insisted that nothing was removed from the station, despite previous allegations of confiscated equipment.

He said, “All the reports that our people (EFCC) moved to the newsroom and carted their equipment, there’s nothing like that.

“What happened is this: the fellow that was arrested is a suspect in a Ponzi scheme where over 103 people were defrauded, and unfortunately, the fellow happened to be a staff of that Radio Station.

“Investigative head; they have written a letter to her and all of that, but she did not respond, and because of the severity of the matter, the number of people involved, just imagine somebody, a journalist, getting involved in a Ponzi scheme.

“So they have to arrest her, brought her to our office to make a statement and they released her immediately. No equipment was taken, nothing was taken. It is normal way of our work. It is unfortunate that she is a journalist but whether a journalist or whoever a suspect is a suspect. I am even worried that media staff would engage in such kind of thing.”