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International NGO, Marie Stopes Nigeria, in alleged money laundering scandal – Report

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On September 5, 2012, Angela Nworgu, then head of the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering, SCUML, of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), disclosed that NGOs are now used as conduits for money laundering and the support of criminal operations. Several years later, the revelation she made in her opening remarks at the annual seminar for Designated Non-Financial Institutions (DNFIs) with the theme “Strategic partnership Among DNFIs for Effective Implementation of AML/CFT Regime in Nigeria” held at the EFCC Academy, Karu, Abuja, is still relevant.

According to Nworgu, research by the Financial Action Task Force indicates that money launderers “who use NGOs to carry out layering of stolen wealth through several countries to disguise the actual origin of the money do not mind losing 40% of the total amount in the process because it is money gotten from illegitimate means”. This admission of fact raises questions about Marie Stopes Nigeria’s apparent receipt of sizable funds from organizations without affiliation to its services or business operations.

Marie Stopes was founded by Marie Charlotte Carmichael Stopes, a proponent of birth control who launched the first contraceptive instruction clinic in the UK in 1921. She was born on October 15, 1880, in Edinburgh, Scotland, and died on October 2, 1958, close to Dorking, Surrey, England. MSI, which has its presence in 37 countries, opened its first clinics in Nigeria in 2009 for the sole purpose of “providing high-quality contraceptive services” for Nigerians. Its head office is located at 59, Anthony Enahoro Street, Utako, Abuja. It has branches in Edo State and Lagos.

For a company that flaunts “providing high-quality contraceptive services” as its core mission, its relationship with companies that have no direct affiliations or are in the same line of operation becomes a source of worry to SecretReporters.

THE INFLUX OF CASH

Documents obtained by SecretReporters, show how Marie Stopes Nigeria received millions of Naira from different companies, including construction companies. The irregularities of payments into different accounts belonging to the ‘supposed NGO’ raise eyebrows.

Below is a chronicle of some of this influx:

Between 29/03/2019 and 25/04/2019, Rigserve Ventures, which was incorporated in Lagos, Nigeria, with Registration Number 2605768, paid N310,000,000 into Marie Stopes’s First City Monument Bank (FCMB) account number – 0739250018. The company was registered on 09 May 2018, and its status is unknown.

Within the space of one month, (29/08/2018 to 26/09/2018), EBOLEEY C INVESTMENT LTD, which was incorporated in Nigeria with Registration Number 461026, paid N341,975,000.00 into Marie Stopes’s FCMB account number – 0739250018. The company was registered on 28 August 2002, and its current status is unknown.

Titilayo Olufunmilayo Eboh, a major stakeholder of Marie Stopes, uses three of her companies to pump millions into several accounts of MCI. On 05/02/2018, CHAYOMI MULTI SER-N, a company owned by Titilayo Olufunmilayo Eboh, paid N20,000,000.00 and another 30,000,000.00 into Marie Stopes FCMB Account 0739250018. The company was incorporated in ABUJA, Nigeria, with Registration Number 1323640. It was registered on 21 Mar 2016, and its status is unknown.

Barely five months after it was founded, CHAYOMI PETROLUIM LTD, on 27/07/2018, in tranches, paid N433,200,000 into Marie Stopes’s FCMB account 0739250018. The company was incorporated in ABUJA, Nigeria, with Registration Number 1474052. It was registered on 26 Feb 2018, and its status is unknown. The company is owned by Titilayo Olufunmilayo Eboh. Also, between 23/05/2019 and 25/06/2019, the company paid N252,000,000 into Marie Stopes’s FCMB account 0739250018.

In the same vein, CHAYOMI ALUMINIUM LTD, owned by Titilayo Olufunmilayo Eboh between 09/01/2018 and 05/07/2018, paid N1,492,910,000 into Marie Stopes FCMB account 0739250018. The company was incorporated in ABUJA, Nigeria, with Registration Number 1372008. It was registered on 03 Nov 2016, and its current status is unknown.

SecretReporters will later investigate the newly incorporated Chayomi group; its findings are mind-blowing. Take note of this, as we publish our report later.

In different transactions, WIDE-RANGE INTEGRATED SERVICES LTD on 11/07/2017 paid 20,000,000.00, 15,000,000.00, 20,000,000.00, 55,000,000.00 into Marie Stopes Nigeria FCMB accounts – 739250104, 739250070, 739250087. The company, owned by Ikobayo Olatunde Isiaka and Ikobayo Oluwafifunwa O, was incorporated in LAGOS, Nigeria, with Registration Number 864157. It was registered on 14 Jan 2010, and its current status is unknown.

On 17/05/2018, DIAMOND GLOBAL EXCHANGE AND INVESTMENT LTD had in two transactions, paid N94,000,000.00 into Marie Stopes FCMB account 0739250018. The company, owned by Shahru Haruna Zahraddeen, was incorporated in ABUJA, Nigeria, with Registration Number 1440235. It was registered on 22 Sep 2017, and its status is unknown.

Another company, CONSTRUCTION LOGISTICS LTD, paid 10,000,000.00 into Marie Stopes’s FCMB account 0739250018 on 04/04/2018. The company also paid N50,000,000.00 into the same account on 05/04/2018.

Within two months, BLUESWORTH RESOURCES paid a whooping sum of N538,100,000 into Marie Stopes FCMB account 0739250018. The transactions were done between 26/03/2018 and 04/05/2018. It is germane to note that the company, owned by Banjo O. Wasiu and Banjo O. Adijat, was incorporated in OJOTA, Nigeria, with Registration Number 450869. It was registered on 23 May 2002, and its status is unknown.

A pharmaceutical company, LIZAK PHARMACEUTICAL LTD, incorporated on 18 Jan 1998 (25 years ago), with registration number 327442, linked to a politician identified as Alhaji Aliyu Zakari Jiya credited MARIE STOPES Nigeria with the sum of N30,000,000.00 on 1 June 2015. The amount was paid in three tranches. On 02/06/2015, the company also paid 10,000,000.00 to Marie Stopes. All monies were paid into FCMB account 739250025.

Alarmed by this influx, SecretReporters visited their head office in Abuja to have a first-hand chat with the Country Director, Emmanuel Ujah, on who these supposed ‘partners’ are pumping millions into the company’s accounts.

 

THE VISIT TO MARIE STOPES NIGERIA

On Tuesday, 28th June 2022, SecretReporters visited Marie Stopes Clinic, Abuja, located at 29 A.E. Ekukinam Street, Utako 900108, Abuja, to inquire about their services and connection with the above-mentioned companies. The personnel who spoke to our correspondents said they were not in a position to respond to the issues and referred our team to their head office at 59, Anthony Enahoro Street, Utako, Abuja.

Our team was greeted by an unfriendly and obnoxious ruse at the gate. The security men on duty told our correspondent that no one could enter the building except on appointment, not even for media enquiries–which is strange for an NGO with a public interest.

When the Team insisted on seeing any administrative staff, the security personnel made a call, and the coordinator, of Corporate Services, Susan Jummai Gashau, came out to speak with them. She affirmed that no one could visit the ‘NGO’ to make enquiries except by invitation or appointment. She, however, asked the SecretReporters Team to write a letter seeking an appointment with the Country Director. This was done, and the letter was acknowledged by Susan, who promised to revert with a scheduled date for the meeting to hold. A reminder was sent about a week later but was completely ignored.

SecretReporters, on 20th July 2022, paid another visit to Marie Stopes’s head office in Abuja, and the narrative was the same at the gate. When a call was made to Susan, she said her boss had yet to issue a directive on the next line of action.

On July 21st, SecretReporters sent an email to MSI’s head office in the United Kingdom, to ask if it was aware of the monetary transactions by its Nigerian branch and if a local branch is permitted to make such transactions. They did not respond to the mail, and despite sending a reminder four days later, on the 25th, MSI still did not respond to the mail.

Determined to speak with the NGO, our team, on Wednesday, 31st August 2022, paid another visit to their head office at 59, Anthony Enahoro Street, Utako, Abuja. Again, the team was greeted by the same unfriendly and obnoxious ruse at the gate, the security men firmly maintaining that no one could enter the compound except on appointment. Despite exerting efforts to speak with any personnel on ground, they maintained that it was impossible to gain entrance, and speaking with their personnel is only on invitation.

More worrying was that a female staff exiting the building said to the security personnel, ‘Do not allow anyone to enter the compound’.

With the above damning influx of cash laced with irregularities, the complexity of gaining access to the company’s premises, and Marie Stopes’s unwillingness to speak to SecretReporters, it will not be out of place to aver that the NGO has cockroaches hidden in its cupboard.

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Christmas, Cash Scarcity and Attacks against CBN’s Proactive Stance – Toni Kan

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Let us look at a few figures……..

Nigeria’s population is put at a little over 200 million people while the UK population is about 68 million. This means that the Nigerian population is about three (3) times that of the UK.

As at June 2023, the UK banking system had about 49,421 Automatic Teller Machines and almost 2.3 million Point of Sales Terminals.

By contrast, the Nigerian banking system had a little over 22,600 ATMS according to TechCabal and is projected to reach 29,000 by 2029 according to Statista. Conversely, Nigeria boasted 1,665,664 POS terminals as at December 2022. Meanwhile, figures attributed to Inlaks, which is described as Nigeria’s biggest ATM operator, suggest that Nigeria needs at least 60,000 ATM machines to serve its population of over 200 million.

Where is all this going? Well to borrow a phrase from the comedian, Jeff Foxworthy; hold my beer, sir!

Those who know me well know what my favourite Igbo proverb is. It goes something like this in translation – “the disease that gives you warning, does not kill you!” It is a proverb that underlines the imperative of proactivity, what the Igbo people might call igba mbo.

So, I was really pleased when I read that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was taking a proactive step to ensure that there is no cash scarcity this Christmas.

Nigerians love cash and that love can become obsessive and reach fever pitch at festive periods. Have you been to Abeokuta during Ojude Oba? Or to Kano during the Durbar? Or Onitsha during Ofala? Those are regional festivities. So, you can imagine what happens at Christmas!

All efforts at driving a cashless policy and economy seem to collapse when festivities come around the corner and this year, the CBN was quick to take proactive action weeks before the festivities reach fever pitch. But the apex bank’s interventions seem to be having unintended consequences even though as at the time of writing this, the apex bank had put out three (3) different circulars and one press release around the issue.

First, is a not-so-surprising pushback from the banks and then a seeming lack of understanding by the general public no thanks to rampant mis-information.

The issue of cash scarcity around the Christmas period worsened under the sway of Godwin Emefiele at the CBN. The fall-out from the disastrous naira redesign he superintended over at the apex bank continues to haunt our banking vaults but Olayemi Cardoso and team are focused on making sure we turn that dark corner.

Let us begin with the first circular dated November 29, 2024: “Cash Availability Over the Counter in Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).” The circular had two sections: DMBs were directed to ensure efficient cash disbursement to customers Over the Counter (OTC) with the CBN insisting that it will enforce the directive and ensure compliance.

Secondly, members of the general public were encouraged to report instances where they are unable to get cash Over the Counter or through ATMs. The CBN ended with a list of 37 email addresses and phone numbers across the 36 states and FCT for reporting issues.

On paper, it looked like Nigerians and the cash worries were all sorted this Christmas but it didn’t take time for the expected pushback to occur. News reports began to circulate of long queues at banks and of ATMs struggling to dispense more than N10,000. “NAN reports that long queues have emerged at ATM stands around the city as residents struggle to have access to cash…Meanwhile POS operators are currently taking advantage of the situation to demand exorbitant charges on transactions.”

While Nigerians were still trying to make sense of the reason behind the long queues, another report had an official of the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance, and Financial Institutions (ASBIFI) pointing fingers. According to the report, “ASSBIFI President, Olusoji Oluwole, told the Punch that “Banks have only two sources of cash: the CBN and retailers. The CBN has not met banks’ demands, and retailers often sell cash for profit, making it harder for banks to access funds.”

As if in response to the charge, the apex bank responded “with their full chest” as we say on social media with a December 13, 2024 circular – Updated Penalty on Inappropriate Cash Disbursement Practices by Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) in which it condemned the “illicit flow of mint banknotes to currency hawkers and other unscrupulous economic agents that commodify naira bank notes thus impeding efficient and effective cash distribution to banks’ customers and general public.”

Giving bite to the circular the CBN said any bank found culpable of “facilitating, aiding or abetting, by direct actions or inactions, illicit flow of mint banknotes” would be fined N150m and then hit with the full weight of the relevant provisions of BOFIA 2020.

This time no pointing fingers were seen but the CBN was not done. Eager to completely squelch rumours around “the validity or lack thereof of the old ₦1000, ₦500, and ₦200 banknotes” the refusal of which was contributing to the long queues, the CBN issued a press release shutting it down: “The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has observed the misinformation regarding the validity of the old ₦1000, ₦500, and ₦200 banknotes currently in circulation….the CBN wishes to reiterate that the subsisting Supreme Court ruling granted on November 29, 2023, permits the concurrent circulation of all versions of the ₦1000, ₦500, and ₦200 denominations of the Naira indefinitely.”

The third circular from the CBN which it said was in line with its “ongoing efforts to advance a cash-less economy” seems to have hit a raw nerve among Nigerians who, as we have already noted, love their cash even though it is now an offence to spray the naira.

News outlets also seemed to also get it wrong. The CBN circular of December 17, 2024 did not put a limit on how much cash you and I can withdraw from banks. The limits imposed in the circular titled – CIRCULAR ON CASH-OUT LIMITS FOR AGENT BANKING TRANSACTIONS – are “for agency banking operations” and as reported by TheCable is among interventions intended to address “identified challenges, combat fraud and establish uniform operational standards across the industry.”

Now, can I have my beer back as I attempt to outline how easily well-intentioned policies are rubbished by that euphemistically named malady known as the “Nigerian factor”.

The ASBIFI official was quick to point fingers even though simple logic can show that Over the Counter cash scarcity and at ATMs has little to do with the CBN or its cash distribution operations but with our Nigerian any-how-ness.

Let’s consider this. How is it that banks cannot fill up 22,600 ATMS, most of which are within or in close proximity to their branches but can afford to give cash to 1.6m PS operators? Doesn’t this seem to suggest that someone is out to make sure that the ATMs don’t have cash while the PoS operators continue to make a killing?

And why does it seem right that Nigerians should continue to pay between N250 and N400 per N10,000 withdrawals to PoS operators when ATM charges are far lower at N35 and only after you have made multiple withdrawals from other bank ATMs?

Oh, bankers have said ATMs are difficult to maintain on account of several factors and this takes us back to the figures we shared from the UK. Of the 49,421 ATMs in the UK, “78% were free to use” during the period under reference. So, why do we always talk about maintenance when it comes to Nigeria? Imagine if we paid N10 per ATM transaction, wouldn’t that be better than paying N250 to a PoS operator for every N10,000 withdrawn?

And for context, in 2014, data on various e-payment channels indicated that Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) remained the most patronised payment mode in Nigeria accounting for 89.7% of all electronic transactions with PoS transactions accounting for just 4.58 per cent. Today, the reverse is the case and the question to ask remains; what changed? The answer has something to do with financial inclusion but that is a topic for another day.

As you ponder that poser, ask yourself why is it always difficult to get mint bank notes over the counter in the banks meanwhile, step into any event center and you will see some hawker waving bright new notes in your face. Surely, they don’t get those notes from the CBN.

When the CBN referenced the Supreme Court ruling granted on November 29, 2023 to the effect that the old notes are still legal tender, their X Formerly Twitter page was filled with bile. But what many are failing to contend with is that the current leadership is only trying to make sure the mess they inherited doesn’t get worse.

As we prepare for Christmas and the New Year the advice is simple; go to your bank and ask for your money or withdraw from the ATMs and if you suspect any funny business, email or call the hotlines provided by the CBN.

Say no to any-how-ness this yuletide.

 

Toni Kan is a PR expret and financial analyst.

 

 

 

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Aviation Minister Leads Delta APC Leadership To National Chairman, Advocates Unity Ahead of 2027 Elections

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The Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Olorogun Festus Keyamo SAN, today, led the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State, to the National Chairman of the APC, His Excellency Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, at the APC National Headquarters in Abuja.

 

During the meeting, the Delta APC leaders briefed the National Chairman on the current state of the party in the state and the ongoing efforts to reconcile party members. They presented the report of the Reconciliation Committee, which has been approved by the Delta State APC State Working Committee (SWC) and earlier submitted to the National Chairman.

The delegation emphasized the importance of collaboration, stating that the era of a one-man leadership style in Delta APC is over. They reaffirmed their collective commitment to working as a united team to reposition the party and strengthen its prospects ahead of the 2027 general elections. This new direction was evident in the composition of the high-powered delegation that visited the National Chairman.

 

In his response, the National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, commended the Delta APC leadership for their efforts to foster unity and ensure the party’s victory in future elections. He assured them of his commitment to work with Delta APC leaders, including those absent from the meeting, to build a united and formidable front. During the meeting, Dr. Ganduje also spoke with Delta State APC Chairman, Elder Omeni Sobotie, who was unavoidably absent due to health reasons, and wished him a swift recovery following his recent surgery.

 

The delegation to the meeting comprised prominent leaders of the Delta APC, including: Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, OON-Founding Leader of APC in Delta State,

Elder Godsday Orubebe- Former Minister,

Senator Ede Dafinone,

Senator Joel Thomas-Onowakpo,

Rev. Francis Waive- Member, House of Representatives and

Hon. Victor Ochei-former Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly.

The meeting was concluded with a renewed sense of purpose among the Delta APC leaders and a shared commitment to repositioning the party for electoral success in 2027.

 

 

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Just In: Alleged N110.4billion Money Laundering: Yahaya Bello Begs Court: Spare me Landed Property in Maitama for Bail.

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A former governor of Kogi State, Mr. Yahaya Bello has pleaded with Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to spare him the possession of a landed property in the Maitama district of Abuja as one of the conditions for bail.

 

Details later…

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