This is a story of treachery, greed, betrayal and wickedness of gargantuan proportions. It is the tale of a Carpetbagger turned scalawag.
In general terms, a Carpetbagger is an opportunist who comes with the deception of financial collaboration and the scalawag is the deceitful and untrustworthy fellow who enables the carpetbagger.
After reading this story, you may want to re-appraise your relationships with hangers-on, good time acquaintances, opportunists and friends who wear the white garment in the morning but at night, they adorn the Devil’s evil garment.
It is the ultimate peak of fraud and daylight robbery, the deviousness of a very greedy man.
This is the mind boggling story of one man’s over leaping ambition for wealth and power which has led him to extreme measures in his bid to snatch a business interest which belongs to the very person who took him on as a trusted ally.
You may think you are reading a script for a soap opera but this is real life and it is the unbelievable but factual experience of the Billionaire, Captain Hosa Okunbo and a certain Tunde Ayeni, a man who has been unpeeled as a serial embracer of dubiousness.
Captain Hosa Okubo’s friendship with the now sheep in wolf’s clothing Tunde Ayeni, spans over two decades. The very large hearted Captain took on the little known Tunde Ayeni, a small time car dealer and under his tutelage, transformed him into a very rich man by involving him in his business interests.
Unfortunately, the Captain met with ill health as most humans are wont to but the very person who should protect his business concerns has turned around with several unsuccessful attempts to snatch them spreading lies and sponsoring a media campaign full of falsehood. Let us examine Ayeni’s false claims and we will let you into authoritative documents and facts obtained during Paparazzi investigations.
Tunde Ayeni, former Chairman of defunct Skye Bank Plc, has told the world that a partner of his, referring to his benefactor, stole his stake in Ocean Marine Solutions Limited {OMS}. This is absolutely false.
While a petition written to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission {EFCC} by Ayeni became a subject of media feasting without any attempt to dig the facts of the matter.
Ayeni, who was sacked by the Central Bank of Nigeria {CBN} as Chairman of the defunct Skye Bank Plc, in a petition signed by Femi Falana (SAN) falsely, accused Okunbo of mismanagement, stealing and diversion of millions of funds belonging to Ocean Marine Security (OMS) Limited.
He also accused Okunbo in the petition of scheming him out of the company, alleging that sometime in 2007, he, Okunbo, Joe Aikhomu, represented by his father, Admiral Augustus Aikhomu, and Gareth Dooley formed a company named Ocean Marine Security Limited, which later became Ocean Marine Solutions Limited, adding that while Okunbo holds 46 percent shares in the company, he holds 35, Dooley 14 and Aikhomu five percent.
According to Ayeni the company later incorporated four other subsidiaries and invested in Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company as well as Yola Electricity Distribution Company.
He also averred that trouble began when in 2016 the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) took over Skye Bank Plc, now Polaris Bank Limited. The development he said saw the new management of the bank drag the former management of the bank under Ayeni to the Federal High Court and the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja, via a petition to the EFCC.
“During this period, the company had a payment challenge from the CBN as it also works for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and its subsidiary NPDC as a result of which some of the payments are denominated in United States Dollars and as such the payments come through the CBN,” Falana said.
He said in order to shield the company from the effect of his client’s prosecution that Okunbo persuaded him to step aside from the company and its subsidiaries and handover to him to enable him protect income sources of the company.
He said he acceded to the request from Okunbo, who he said later allegedly “turned around and said Ayeni’s shares had been sold to him”.
He insisted in the petition that he did not at any time discuss the actual sale of his interest in the company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates with Okunbo.
Ayeni alleged that Okunbo introduced one Mr Ned Nwoko to the company with Nwoko claiming he had contract with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in respect of the Paris Club refund and that his fee was 20 per cent.
He added that after Nwoko asked the company to fund the transaction process for him, that Okunbo funded him at various times to the tune of $6 million.
“Captain Okunbo claimed that only $4.5 million was paid which was less than the money given to Ned Nwoko because the Nigeria Governors’ Forum reduced his payment and he could not afford the commitment.
“Captain Okunbo suggested to our client to accept the money to reduce the pressure from AMCON, which he obliged, as this was the practice in the company – any particular director in need is sometimes advanced sums of money ahead of others,” the petition said.
He also accused Captain Okunbo of several financial infractions.
THE MAN LIED
Now, we reveal the truth.
Paparazzi’s pain staking investigations has unveiled facts that will make even the most hardened weak in the knees.
A tale of lies and even more lies.
Paparazzi investigations reveal that Ayeni has been telling blatant and bare faced lies, or like the popular saying, he is trying to take the whole plate of food away after being invited by a benevolent friend to a meal, a trait that has been noticeable in the Kogi State born lawyer and business man.
Documents in the possession of Paparazzi indicate that there was an actual transfer of shares held by Ayeni and Prime Union Investment Limited, an investment company belonging to Ayeni and his wife, Abiola.
Also, resolutions of the board of OMS, where it was agreed to buy up the shares belonging to Ayeni and Prime Union Investment Limited, showed that Ayeni did not only sell his shares in the company but also resigned as a director in the company.
Also in the possession of Paparazzi are transfer instructions to a branch of Sterling Bank in Abuja for payment of money as consideration for the sale of the shares, evidence of re -allotment of shares filed with the Corporate Affairs Commission {CAC}, Abuja.
Reacting to allegations of financial infractions against Okunbo, the board of OMS, in a resolution dated December 17, 2020, denied Ayeni’s allegations and said that he was no longer a part of either OMS or its associated companies because he resigned since 2018 after selling all his shares.
The resolution read in part: “The attention of the Board of Ocean Marine Solutions Limited (OMS) has been drawn to several petitions written to various Government Agencies and widely circulated online, written, authored and orchestrated by Dr. Olatunde John Ayeni, a former Director and shareholder of OMS.”
The board also said it has explicit confidence in the leadership of Captain Okunbo, denying the allegations of financial infractions against him.
The said further: “That Dr. Olatunde John Ayeni is no longer a Director of OMS and any of its Associated Companies having resigned from OMS since August 2018. That Dr. Olatunde John Ayeni is no longer a shareholder of OMS and its Associated Companies having sold and transferred all his shares and interests to Wells Property Development Company Limited for valuable consideration since 2018,” the company said.
“That Dr. Olatunde John Ayeni has not been involved and connected in the management of OMS since 2018 when he resigned from the Board and sold his shares. That Dr. Olatunde John Ayeni became aware in September, 2020 that the Chairman of OMS Capt. [Dr.] Idahosa Wells Okunbo had health Issues and was undergoing treatment in London and has since that time started making false claims that he is still a part of OMS.
“That the Board of OMS has implicit and unshaken confidence in all the steps taken by Capt. [Dr.] Idahosa Wells Okunbo in managing the affairs of the Company and the lofty heights to which he has taken the Company. The Company states unequivocally that it accounts are in good and correct order and its funds are intact and not missing, misappropriated or otherwise mismanaged.
“The Board has passed a vote of confidence on Capt. [Dr.] Idahosa Wells Okunbo. Dr. Olatunde John Ayeni is a meddlesome interloper who is seeking to blackmail Capt. (Dr.) Idahosa Wells Okunbo at this time of his ill-health for financial benefit.”
The company’s management added that Ayeni has “no interest whatsoever” in OMS and its affairs. It, therefore, advised him to “steer clear from OMS and its Associated Companies”.
Also, businessman Ned Nwoko has reacted to his name being mentioned in the petition, insisting that he never had any dealings with Ayeni or OMS in any capacity whatsoever in a letter to the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu.
In a letter to the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, Nwoko said that at no point in time “have I had any dealings with Ayeni or Ocean Marine Solutions in whatever capacity”.
According to Nwoko, all transactions he had concerning the deal referred to by Ayeni in his petition, was done with Okunbo in his personal capacity, adding that neither Ayeni nor OMS had any role to play in the transactions.
EFCC ABSOLVES OMS OF ANY WRONGDOING
The EFCC, while absolving OMS of any wrongdoing in the money laundering fraud related charges against Ayeni concerning the defunct Skye Bank, said its investigations did not indict the company.
In the letter dated June 25, 2019 and addressed to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of OMS, the EFCC said: “We wish to state that in June 2017, a petition regarding infractions by the previous Board and Management of Skye Bank was forwarded from the Office of the Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria,” it read in part.
“In the course of investigation, Dr Tunde Ayeni was invited and he volunteered a statement confirming the withdrawal of 29.5 billion naira cash from the Skye Bank. He, however, promised to refund the said funds to the bank and further claimed to have some interest in Ocean Marine and its subsidiary companies.
“Based on the above, investigation was extended to the Corporate Affairs Commission where it was discovered that Dr Tunde Ayeni had on the 8th August, 2018 actually sold his 35 million ordinary shares in Ocean Marine Solutions Limited and 37.2 million ordinary shares in PPP Fluid Mechanics Limited to Wells Property Development Company Limited, a subsidiary of Ocean Marine Solutions Ltd.
“Investigation carried out so far revealed that Dr. Tunde Ayeni is no longer a Director and Shareholder of Ocean Marine Solutions Limited and PPP Fluid Mechanics Limited as he has since sold his entire shares and resigned his appointment and Shareholder of the companies.
“Consequent upon the foregoing, the Commission’s investigation so far did not indict the Chairman of Ocean Marines Solutions and its subsidiary companies, Capt. Idahosa Wells Okunbo, on the alleged diversion of 29.5 billion naira from the defunct Skye Bank Plc, by Dr Tunde Ayeni.”
The current controversies surrounding Ayeni and his bid to recover shares he has evidently sold and got paid for, may not be surprising to many who have followed him closely over the years.
According to sources, Ayeni is not just a vicious businessman but criminal opportunist, with a fraudulent disposition. The crash of Skye Bank is still fresh in the memory of Nigerians, especially depositors and shareholders of the bank.
In what may qualify as the biggest rape of a Nigerian Bank, the EFCC accused Ayeni of diverting N21.1b, N17.4b and N3.7b from the covers of the bank.
It took the timely intervention of the Central Bank of Nigeria to salvage the little it could and saved depositors from losing all their money in the bank completely. Though the CBN changed the name of the bank to Polaris and effected a change in management, Polaris remained a shadow of the once vibrant Skye Bank.
It would also be recalled that a former Director of defunct Bond Bank, John Darlington, had lamented how Ayeni treated him unfairly.
In an interview with BusinessDay, Darlington vowed to take him down, claiming that Ayeni betrayed and repeatedly cheated him of his dues. But in his characteristics manner, through his handlers, contended that he had always offered a helping hand to Darlington and not the other way round.
Even more dis-heartening is the way Ayeni has treated the family of late former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.
Those who know are quick to tell you that the former Bayelsa governor was the singular person that made Ayeni what he is today. But kinsmen of the Alamieyeseigha, in a statement said Ayeni has been lying and disrespecting his memory.
The kinsmen under the aegis of the Bayelsa Natives in Nigeria and the Diaspora, B.A.N.N.D, in a widely circulated statement recently, said they were taken aback that despite all that the former governor did to empower Ayeni, he has only repaid him by maliciously lying on his memory and abandoning his family.
The group said: “It came to our notice that when the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, arrested Tunde Ayeni for withdrawing N29 billion from Skye Bank, he lied to the agency that he gave the money as bribe to our brother and illustrious son of the Niger Delta, the late Chief Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha. That is callous and gratuitous. At no time, as far as we know, did Chief Alamieyeseigha have that amount of money in any bank whether in Nigeria or abroad. He was a simple man of the people who gave back to the society that made him. He coveted no riches and he led a simple life.
“What Tunde Ayeni did was to just lie against a dead man who cannot defend himself. This is a betrayal of the friendship we are aware that they maintained while the former governor was alive. Ayeni merely played to the gallery and decided to call a dog a bad name in order to hang it. This is not what friendship is about. And we have no doubt that the man (the former governor) must be turning in his grave at this deliberate and disdainful desecration of his memory.”
The group also declared that its investigations at the EFCC showed that after his initial grandstanding, Ayeni sang like a bird to investigators and went on a lying spree against prominent dead Nigerians including Alamieyeseigha.
“He lied that he gave N29 billion to Alamieyeseigha as a bribe but we found out that it was part of the money that he diverted to buy NITEL and MTEL which he renamed NTEL. He was using NTEL’s assets to offset his indebtedness to the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, in a classic case of robbing Peter to pay Paul,” the statement added.
The group also lamented that since Alamieyeseigha’s death, Ayeni turned his back on his benefactor’s family, describing it as “grave sin against man and God.
“He was never there for the family even when he could have. We are sure that at the appropriate time, representatives of the family will address their grouse with him”. Adding that they were not surprised at Ayeni’s capricious about-face.
“It is his stock-in-trade. It is why those he calls his friends are wary of having any business or personal dealing with him because there is no atom of loyalty in his veins”, the group said.
To peak the height of his perfidious nature, Tunde Ayeni has again today, like the fabled scorpion which was carried on the back of a dog to swim across the river, latched his poisonous fangs into the veins of the very person who gave him an in-road into high level wheeling and dealing.
Captain Hosa, the generous and unobtrusive philanthropist, a man who has changed the lives of thousands of Nigerians and never left anyone who met him in want, a man loved, cherished and respected, a self-made billionaire who grew his wealth through hard work and diligence, is not just battling ill health right now but now grappling with the betrayal of one to who he acted as a selfless benefactor.
It is indeed a very sad story but as long as the truth is told and facts are presented, Ayeni will remain in the filthy dustbin of traitors and betrayals.
EVIDENCE DON’T LIE!
Presenting the Documents:
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