Kano businessman Rabiu Tijjani threatens legal action after EFCC declared him wanted for fraud.
He insists the $77 million transaction was lawful and says his reputation is being damaged.
A businessman from Kano State, Rabiu Auwalu Tijjani, has threatened to take legal action against Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for naming him as a wanted person in a public notice related to a money laundering case.
Tijjani, who is based in the United Arab Emirates, described the EFCC’s allegations as baseless and damaging to his reputation. He claims that the financial dealings in question were legitimate business transactions between him and a business associate, Ifeanyi Ezeokolu, and had nothing to do with fraud or criminal intent.
In a statement he personally signed and released to the media on Sunday, Tijjani said the total value of the business transactions with Ezeokolu amounted to around $77 million. According to him, these dealings took place over the course of a year, starting from January 2023 through December 2023.
On Friday, the EFCC declared Tijjani wanted, stating that he was involved in obtaining money under false pretense and laundering around $1.9 million. The agency identified him as a 43-year-old native of Dala Local Government Area in Kano.
Reacting to this, Tijjani said he was shocked by the move, especially considering that he was actually the one who suffered losses in the transaction. He accused the EFCC of presenting him as a criminal without giving full attention to the facts.
“I am a businessman residing in the United Arab Emirates,” his statement read. “When Ifeanyi approached me for a business arrangement, he would send naira to me and I would return the dollar equivalent.”
He said these currency exchanges were carried out across eleven companies linked to Ifeanyi, with a total volume of more than $77 million.
Tijjani explained that after some time, a thorough review of their transaction records revealed that Ifeanyi had been overpaid. When they approached him for reconciliation, Ifeanyi allegedly began to delay and avoid accountability.
To resolve the issue, Tijjani said he contacted the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria’s domestic intelligence agency. The DSS reportedly questioned both parties and recommended the hiring of an independent auditor to go through the financial records.
However, things took a different turn. According to Tijjani, instead of cooperating with the reconciliation process, Ifeanyi went to court and filed a case against the DSS, claiming his rights had been violated. Tijjani added that the matter is now before a high court and he had already informed the EFCC about the developments through his representatives.
Olumide Ajayi, the auditor assigned to review the accounts, confirmed that discrepancies were found. He stated that after comparing the available documents, it became clear that Ifeanyi’s companies had been overpaid by more than $2 million.
Ajayi said both parties were asked to submit records of the transactions. While Tijjani complied fully, Ifeanyi allegedly submitted records for only 9 of the 11 companies involved. The missing accounts, GRE International Company for Trading and Supplies and Seagate Maritime Limited, reportedly had transactions totaling more than $50 million.
“As of now, those account statements have not been made available,” Ajayi said. “I am also scheduled to appear before the EFCC in Abuja on Monday.”
When contacted, Ifeanyi Ezeokolu declined to comment, saying the matter is being handled by the EFCC.
Speaking on behalf of the EFCC, spokesperson Dele Oyewale said Tijjani was declared wanted after all attempts to reach him were unsuccessful. According to Oyewale, the commission had made every effort to contact him before taking that step.
Tijjani, however, insists he is willing to cooperate and clear his name, but believes the EFCC’s approach has caused unjust damage to his personal and professional reputation.
