The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has provided clarity regarding the recent raid at Urban 94.5FM, a well-known radio station in Enugu State.
Earlier reports by SaharaReporters indicated that the anti-graft agency stormed the station during a live broadcast on Monday evening, seizing equipment valued at millions of naira and detaining several staff members, including a presenter.
However, in a phone conversation with SaharaReporters, Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, clarified the situation.
He explained that the EFCC’s Enugu Zonal Command visited the station specifically to apprehend a journalist suspected of being involved in a Ponzi scheme after the individual failed to respond to an official invitation from the agency.
While Oyewale did not disclose the suspect’s name, he confirmed that she was taken into custody, questioned, and then released shortly thereafter.
He firmly stated, “Contrary to earlier reports, nothing was taken from the station during our visit.”
Oyewale elaborated, saying, “There’s been a misunderstanding. Our agents did not raid the newsroom and seize any equipment. The person arrested is a suspect in a Ponzi scheme that defrauded over 103 victims. Unfortunately, she works at that radio station.
“The investigative team had previously sent her a letter to respond to inquiries, but she did not comply. Given the serious nature of the allegations and the number of individuals affected, we had to act. The suspect was brought to our office for questioning and released immediately after providing a statement. No equipment was confiscated. This is a standard procedure in our operations. It’s regrettable that she is a journalist, but a suspect is still a suspect. I’m concerned that media personnel would be involved in such activities.”
A Ponzi scheme refers to an investment fraud where returns to existing investors are paid using funds from new investors. These schemes typically promise high returns with minimal risk, but in many cases, the fraudsters do not actually invest the funds at all.
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