CSNAC Urges British Government to Dissociate UK Police From Jimoh Ibrahim Event

Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC) has implored the British Government to either ensure that fraudulent Nigerian businessman, Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim, is dropped from the list of speakers for this week’s conference on Corporate Fraud in which the UK Metropolitan Police is a partner, or dissociate the agency from partnering in it.  

The Metropolitan Police was reported to have collaborated with the the Special Fraud Unit of Nigerian Police Force, the Assets Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to organize the July 1-5 CSNAC called a “conscious attempt by friends of Mr. Ibrahim in SFU to repackage him for public acceptance.”

“Considering the numerous businesses in Mr. Ibrahim’s group of companies, it might not be incorrect to refer to him as a business man,” the group said in the July 1 letter sent to the British High Commissioner in Nigeria. “A critical review of the performances of those businesses leaves no one in doubt, the not-too-impressive performance of those companies, with allegations of malpractices in the trail of Mr. Ibrahim’s management supervision and involvement.”

The petition, signed by CSNAC chairman Olanrewaju Suraju, listed several recent investigations of Mr. Ibrahim by various authorities:

•    Investigation for fraud by the Economic and Other Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) for tax evasion in the value of N3.5billion (approximately 14million pounds)
•    Arraignment before a New York Court a month ago by Aersale Inc., an aircraft leasing company over nearly $8million owed in leasing fees, interest, costs and attorney fees.
•    Accused of embezzling N36billion from a Federal aviation bailout fund administered by the CBN. The money was meant to shore up the airlines.

The group further noted that apart from Mr. Ibrahim’s personal enterprises, he has also bought over a number of Nigerian companies, only to ground them all, citing Air Nigeria, Energy Oil, Nicon Insurance, NICON Airways and Newswatch Magazine. Employees of those companies have alleged Mr. Ibrahim deducted tax and pension contributions from their salaries which he neither remitted to them nor the government, it noted.

“We believe that the United Kingdom Citizens will be concerned to note that the Metropolitan Police, funded through their taxes is associated with co-organising a programme with such personality as a resource person. No doubt, the Nigeria Special Fraud Unit, Central Bank of Nigeria and Asset Management Company of Nigeria might [be] careless about their reputation as it concerns this matter. It is our assumption that the British Government and people are not in league with these institutions in legitimizing fraud and corporate mismanagement through this event.”

Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC) is a coalition of over 150 anti-corruption organizations whose primary aim is to constructively combat corruption vigorously and to ensure the effective monitoring of the various anti-graft agencies in its activities in the fight against corruption and to enthrone transparency, accountability, probity, and total commitment in the fight to eradicate corruption in Nigeria.