On Monday, October 14, 2024, a team from the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was involved in a tense standoff at Urban Radio 94.5FM, Enugu, while attempting to arrest Favour Ekoh, the host of the station’s popular program “Prime Time.”
Ekoh is under investigation in connection with an alleged N700 million Ponzi scheme, involving approximately 50 victims.
The victims allege that Ekoh lured them into investing in a scheme called “Life Trading” under Leverage Index Limited, a company based in Enugu. Investors were promised a 10% return on their capital after a certain period. However, after they invested, the company’s office, located at No. 1 Colliery Street, Okpara Avenue, Enugu, reportedly closed, leaving investors without their promised returns or their original investment.
Ekoh, who was the victims’ main contact with the company, became the focal point of their complaints after the company’s disappearance.
EFCC officers, armed with an arrest warrant for Ekoh, arrived at the radio station to take her into custody. Upon arrival, they identified themselves and informed the station’s Managing Director, Bamikole Owoyomi, of their mission. However, in an unexpected turn of events, a staff member contacted the station’s chairman, who ordered the gates to be locked, trapping the EFCC officers inside.
Faced with this obstruction, the EFCC team called for backup, which eventually led to the arrest of Owoyomi, Ekoh, and two security guards who had locked the gates.
The EFCC clarified that the operation did not disrupt the station’s broadcasting, nor was any station equipment tampered with. Ekoh was not arrested while on air, but she was tracked to the station as part of a sting operation to prevent her from evading arrest.
She was later released after making a statement at the EFCC’s Enugu office. Owoyomi and the security guards were also released after providing statements regarding their role in obstructing the EFCC’s mission.
The EFCC expressed dismay at the actions of the radio station’s staff, describing the obstruction of law enforcement as “precipitate and unlawful.”
In a statement, the Commission emphasized the importance of the media in its fight against economic and financial crimes but condemned the actions taken by Urban Radio employees to hinder the lawful arrest.
“The professional credentials of Ekoh, a principal suspect in a Ponzi scheme to the tune of N700 million affecting 50 innocent Nigerians, are questionable,” the EFCC stated. They called on media organizations such as the International Press Institute (IPI) and the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) to investigate the station’s conduct to uphold ethical standards in journalism.
The case underscores both the severity of the allegations against Ekoh and the tension that can arise between law enforcement and media entities when official duties intersect with public personalities.