Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Globacom, Mike Adenuga Jr., has fled the country(Nigeria). He reportedly left in the early hours of Thurday for Ghana.
Two of his children who occupy management positions in his organisations have also relocated to London. They may not return soon.
Adenuga, according to sources, relocated to Ghana with an ECOWAS travel document having been denied access to his international passport by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He left following a tip off that EFCC operatives were planning to re-arrest him.
Based on the tip off, family members, friends, and associates who feared for the worst reportedly advised him to leave.
Meanwhile, the family has concluded plans to engage the services of some high profile lawyers to seek explanation to the harassment by EFCC.
Also on Thursday, there were reports that the EFCC may have widened its investigation to Adenuga’s other business interests. Apart from Globacom and Conoil, which they reportedly visited on Tuesday, the EFCC also went to Equitorial Trust Bank (ETB) where the operatives questioned the company secretary of the bank, took her away and later released her. Computers and other vital documents were also forcefully carted away.
However, a source at the bank said the development has not in any way affected the day to day running of the bank. The source added that customers and staff have been transacting normal business activities at all the branches of the bank nationwide.
In a separate development, the EFCC is also investigating NITEL Chief Technical Officer (CTO), Emmanuel Adekoya, and Deputy General Manager (Project), Ahmed Tijjani, over their involvement in some private telecommunication operators (PTOs).
Both officers are alleged to be members of the Board of Directors of Sungold Communications Limited and some other pre-paid companies that owe NITEL hundreds of millions of naira.
Adekoya is still in the employment of NITEL, while Tijjani resigned recently to join MultiLinks.
EFCC operatives are questioning them on the ground that their involvement in these pre-paid companies who are beneficiaries of NITEL’s switching network hampered effective and accurate billing of interconnect transactions and call tracking.
Apart from this, the refusal of some of these pre-paid companies to pay NITEL is linked to the activities of these insiders.
Officials of EFCC are also unhappy with the NITEL chiefs who are alleged to have violated civil service rules in their participation in these companies.
The EFCC searchlight may not be limited to these two officials as the operatives are said to be digging deep to unravel those behind the accumulated debt of about N4 billion owed by 42 pre-paid companies and 13 fixed wireless network operators (FNO).
Apart from a possible prosecution of the NITEL officials, EFCC is forcing them to cough up some money owed by the companies they have interest in. Over N7 million is believed to have been refunded in the first instance. There is a commitment to pay more next week.
NITEL has complained severally that its revenue was dwindling and found it difficult to track and bill certain calls that emanate from these pre-paid companies.
Only last week, NITEL warned the indebted companies to pay up or face appropriate action.
Some NITEL workers on Thursday held the Managing Director of the company, Albert Mashi, hostage for a few hours over government decision to convert money meant for their rent and furniture allowance to pay salaries.
Meanwhile, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly were arrested Thursday night by the EFCC.
Investigations revealed that all Assembly members, who had earlier been invited by the EFCC, interrogated and asked to go, were re-invited on Thursday.
At the end of the day, the Speaker and his deputy were detained.
When contacted, a source at the Government House, Ado-Ekiti confirmed the arrest, but said Fayose had ordered them not to talk on the matter.
"The Governor said these are tribulations and believes he will be vindicated at the end of the day."
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Globacom, Mike Adenuga Jr., has fled the country(Nigeria). He reportedly left in the early hours of Thurday for Ghana.
Two of his children who occupy management positions in his organisations have also relocated to London. They may not return soon.
Adenuga, according to sources, relocated to Ghana with an ECOWAS travel document having been denied access to his international passport by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He left following a tip off that EFCC operatives were planning to re-arrest him.
Based on the tip off, family members, friends, and associates who feared for the worst reportedly advised him to leave.
Meanwhile, the family has concluded plans to engage the services of some high profile lawyers to seek explanation to the harassment by EFCC.
Also on Thursday, there were reports that the EFCC may have widened its investigation to Adenuga’s other business interests. Apart from Globacom and Conoil, which they reportedly visited on Tuesday, the EFCC also went to Equitorial Trust Bank (ETB) where the operatives questioned the company secretary of the bank, took her away and later released her. Computers and other vital documents were also forcefully carted away.
However, a source at the bank said the development has not in any way affected the day to day running of the bank. The source added that customers and staff have been transacting normal business activities at all the branches of the bank nationwide.
In a separate development, the EFCC is also investigating NITEL Chief Technical Officer (CTO), Emmanuel Adekoya, and Deputy General Manager (Project), Ahmed Tijjani, over their involvement in some private telecommunication operators (PTOs).
Both officers are alleged to be members of the Board of Directors of Sungold Communications Limited and some other pre-paid companies that owe NITEL hundreds of millions of naira.
Adekoya is still in the employment of NITEL, while Tijjani resigned recently to join MultiLinks.
EFCC operatives are questioning them on the ground that their involvement in these pre-paid companies who are beneficiaries of NITEL’s switching network hampered effective and accurate billing of interconnect transactions and call tracking.
Apart from this, the refusal of some of these pre-paid companies to pay NITEL is linked to the activities of these insiders.
Officials of EFCC are also unhappy with the NITEL chiefs who are alleged to have violated civil service rules in their participation in these companies.
The EFCC searchlight may not be limited to these two officials as the operatives are said to be digging deep to unravel those behind the accumulated debt of about N4 billion owed by 42 pre-paid companies and 13 fixed wireless network operators (FNO).
Apart from a possible prosecution of the NITEL officials, EFCC is forcing them to cough up some money owed by the companies they have interest in. Over N7 million is believed to have been refunded in the first instance. There is a commitment to pay more next week.
NITEL has complained severally that its revenue was dwindling and found it difficult to track and bill certain calls that emanate from these pre-paid companies.
Only last week, NITEL warned the indebted companies to pay up or face appropriate action.
Some NITEL workers on Thursday held the Managing Director of the company, Albert Mashi, hostage for a few hours over government decision to convert money meant for their rent and furniture allowance to pay salaries.
Meanwhile, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly were arrested Thursday night by the EFCC.
Investigations revealed that all Assembly members, who had earlier been invited by the EFCC, interrogated and asked to go, were re-invited on Thursday.
At the end of the day, the Speaker and his deputy were detained.
When contacted, a source at the Government House, Ado-Ekiti confirmed the arrest, but said Fayose had ordered them not to talk on the matter.
"The Governor said these are tribulations and believes he will be vindicated at the end of the day."
