A retired Civil Servant, Mr Raphael Maduemesi, has dragged an investment company, Aims Assets Management Limited with its office at 23, Ajao Road, Off Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja, Lagos and its directors to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC for failure to pay more that N600,000(Six Hundred Thousand Naira) owed him cumulatively through reneging on the contract of its contribution scheme. Maduemesi was lured into a 5-year contributory plan in 2009 during which he paid N5,000(Five Thousand Naira) monthly with the promise that he would get back his contribution in addition to an 18% (Eighteen Per cent) compound interest.
At the end of the Aims Family Investment Plan, which was due on 12th February, 2014, he had contributed N452,445.94(Four Hundred and Fifty Two, Four Hundred and Forty Five Naira, Ninety Four Kobo through the following company account numbers: First Bank of Nigeria A/c No: 4832030003438; Oceanic Bank International Plc A/c No:0471701200117 and Zenith Bank Plc A/c No:10120553383, 6010724681, but the company has refused to pay him back with interest.
In a letter, Lawyers to Mr Raphael Maduemesi, E.C.N. Ahuchaogu & Company dated 2nd December, 2016 titled: “Billions of Naira Fraud Against Unsuspecting Nigerians Packaged as “AIMS ASSETS MANAGEMENT LIMITED” by Messrs (1.) Ojugbeli Alex John of 36 Adeniyi Jones Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos; (2.) Odieh Robert Uzuegbunam of 18 Ibefun Street, Aiyetoro Ijanikin, Lagos-Badagry Express way, Ogun State; (3.) Kunle Olafolujo Akinwumi of 22 Oremeji Avenue, Ketu-Ijanikin, Lagos; and (4.) Austin White of 21/25 Broad Street Lagos and Others”, informed the anti -corruption agency that their client was introduced to the scheme by an agent of the company, one Miss Florence Ugochi. At the end of the plan and upon his request to be paid ‘his return on his investment on his retirement’, the Management of the company requested him to submit at their office “ ALL the original receipts/tellers” with which he was making payments all the years as well as the agreement he entered into with the organization in the guise that it was ‘to facilitate his payment”.
The firm of Attorneys further disclosed that its client “unsuspectingly submitted every documents relating to the contract, and the Management of AIMS ASSETS MANAGEMENT LIMITED now refused and, or ignored to pay our client his accrued savings and interests despite repeated demands”
“Our client further said that several times when he had been to their office to see their Manager, one of the receptionists would tell him that their Manager had travelled to Abuja. That it has been the same story all these years.”
Ahuchaogu said that their client was on 12th February, 2014 given a statement of account which was the only document linking him and his investments with the company. The law firm had written the company a letter dated 9th May, 2016 and acknowledged by the company on 26th May, 2016 demanding the payment of the accrued sum to their client, Maduemesi. Till date, the company has refused to pay Mr Maduemesi.
Mr Maduemesi had before the latest correspondence written a reminder to the AIMS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED on 30th March, 2016 demanding for the payment of the accrued contribution and interest as contained in the working document of the company when he was lured into it on 29th January, 2009 by Miss Ugochi. His letter was acknowledged by the company, and no payment made to him.
Messrs Ahuchaogu called on the Chairman of EFCC, DCP Ibrahim Magu, to use his good office to assist their client to recover his investment and interest estimated at N600,000(Six Hundred Thousand Naira) only and to stop the company and its agents from swindling unsuspecting Nigerians.
As at press time, it was not ascertained if the Commission had assigned the matter to an investigating team. However, Drumnewsonline gathered from a source within the Commission that the directors of the company had been quizzed in the past for using the company to defraud some Nigerians through what could be described as a Ponzi scheme.
