The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has explained why it raided a private radio station in Enugu on Monday evening.
The operatives of the anti-graft agency had invaded Urban 94.5FM in Enugu during a live broadcast, and effected an arrest.
It was gathered that EFCC allegedly seized equipment worth millions of naira and arrested several staff members, including a presenter.
Sahara Reporters quotes Dele Oyewale, the Commission’s Head of Media and Publicity, saying that the EFCC’s Enugu Zonal Command, however, went to the station specifically to apprehend a journalist linked with a Ponzi fraud. Oyewale claimed that the reporter had failed to respond to the commission’s prior invitation.
The presenter was taken into custody, provided a statement, and was released shortly thereafter, he stated, adding that no equipment was removed from the station as widely reported.
In his words, “All the reports that our people (EFCC) moved to the newsroom and carted their equipment; there’s nothing like that.
“What happened is 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.
“We have written letters 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 release her immediately. No equipment was taken; nothing was taken. It is a 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 a thing.”