Victims Of Multi-Billion Naira Scam, Call For EFCC’s Quick Intervention

EFCC Boss Abdulrasheed Bawa

By Frank Oshanugor

A group of Nigerian investors who parted with huge sums of money with the belief that they were investing genuinely have called on the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa to urgently intervene in their matter with one Mr. Anyanso Mma, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Themap.ng. 

They claimed that Mma in conspiracy with some other persons had lured over 3,000 innocent Nigerians and obtained from them by the pretense of business and promise of mouthwatering returns on investment a total of about N7.5billion.

In an open letter to the EFCC boss, (a copy of which was made available to AtlanticNewsOnline),  the petitioners alleged that Mma acting in collaboration with Mr. Michael Mma (Director/Shareholder and Procurement Manager), Mr. Uchechwu Agu –(Chief Operating Officer), Mrs. Nene lroha – (HR Manager and CRMI Manager) and Mrs. Tolani Alabi – (Public Relations Officer) had carefully duped their victims in a manner that seriously calls for EFCC’s more serious investigation and recovery of scammed funds.

According to them, “apart from the fact that Mr. Anyanso Mma was the alter ego of the company, he actively campaigned (via appearances on radios, podcasts, Instagram live, etc) and engaging some social media influencers like Debo Adebayo, also known as Mr. Macaroni and Jubril Oladapo Gbadamosi, also known as Officerwoos who used their social media handles to advertise and promote his business on behalf of the company for ‘investors’ to invest funds into the company’s various investment plans.”

The advertised investment plans included Logistics/Bike Investment — Mayweather Promo, Customer Relationship Management Investment (CRMI), Education Virtual Reality for Students Investment (VR), Location Sponsorship Investment, Real Estate Investment and Independent Investment — Allweather Promo.

The petitioners who are victims of the alleged scam include Agboniffo Ohis Iyawere  who invested  the sum of N3,340,000, Victor Okinedo (N15,340,000), Chibueze Amuchie- (N800,000) Bazuaye John and family (N25, 081,000) and Obiakor Elochukwu Pious and wife (N44,900,000).

In their petition, they alleged that “with the expected Returns on Investment (ROI) hovering between 60% to 110% depending on the investment plan and duration, little did we the investors know that the said Anyanso Mma and his cohorts were diverting investors’ funds.  However, to successfully lure the innocent investors, the company had an actual office manned by staff. A few bikes were seen within the company’s various office premises and along the road in parts of Ikeja, Lekki in Lagos  and Abuja. So, when investors get to any of the offices, they actually get the impression that they are investing in a proper company.”

“Investors’ confidence was further bought with the well-publicized remittances made to the earlier investors. The unraveling of the suspected Ponzi scheme all started around first week of October 2020, when suddenly, the company started giving excuses why it could not pay. At first, it stated that the CRMI was oversubscribed and that the company wanted to refund the excesses before payment could resume (however, they still accepted funds from some investors). Later, it said that the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) has ordered him to refund all CRMI investors. After that, it was one story or the other and Mr. Anyanso Mma actually went underground, claiming to have had an accident, and continued in hiding until it was learnt that EFCC officers had arrested him randomly.”

“EFCC officers held him in a detention facility at Okotie-Eboh Office at Ikoyi for about a month and then released him on the 22nd of December 2020. Prior to his release, Anyanso Mma gave investors his word that as soon as he is released, he would sell some of the assets he diverted investors’ monies into and pay up investors. To the chagrin of investors, after he was released, he stated clearly that EFCC has asked/instructed him not to meet or communicate with investors. This,the EFCC denied.  Again, he stated that the EFCC has not unfrozen the company’s account as well as his personal account.”

The petitioners posited that “it is worthy to note that Anyanso Mma on several occasions clearly stated that he is not the enemy, rather, we have a common enemy being the EFCC, that the EFCC is the reason why he has not paid the investors and was encouraging the investors to stage protest against the EFCC at Okotie-Eboh Office at Ikoyi, to release his assets and unfreeze his company’s accounts and his personal account.” 

To buttress their point, the petitioners gave out the contents of one of his numerous emails sent to investors about the delay in payment. It reads:

“Dear Esteemed Partners, Your grievances are well understood and we apologize for all the pain and inconvenience the situation has caused you. We are not against our investors nor against paying back, but at the moment, the company and the investors have a common enemy which is the EFCC. We do not have any control over how long their investigation will last or when they will release our assets and accounts, we are working tirelessly with a joint combination of our legal team and a legal team provided by some of our investors who are going the extra mile to see us through the situation. Please know that this situation is by no means a deliberate action by the company and there is no scam involved as we have just been put in a bad position by the commission and we are doing all we can to make sure the situation is resolved and everyone is paid, that is our major aim and motive”. 

Disturbed by the uncertainties surrounding the transaction and investigation by the anti graft agency, the petitioners have pleaded with the EFCC Chairman to speedily look into the matter in the interest of innocent investors “as  about 7.5 billion naira investors’ funds (from Anyanso’s Own admission), is still  under his firm grip.” They added that “Anyanso Mma admitted using some people’s bank accounts to receive funds since EFCC had restricted his bank accounts.

He also admitted that he used investor’s funds to invest heavily in properties.”

They also pointed out that on three (3) occasions, the investors have offered to help Anyanso Mma release his properties which he claims to be seized by EFCC. According to them, “he only accepts verbally, but never comes forth with the conditions given by investors. These conditions include “that Anyanso Mma will provide an MoU making commitments for payments, using the assets as collateral if he fails to make payments afterward, that he includes payment plan in this MoU and sends this MoU to our various lawyers to review before adoption”

They pointed out that Anyanso Mma instead of complying accordingly used his lawyer’s lack of performance as an excuse for why the MoU has not been out. The investors through one of the lawyers told Anyanso not to use EFCC as an excuse anymore because he had been offered assistance which he has not complied with.

The petitioners are worried that “Anyanso Mma may just disappear with the entirety of the money should EFCC release the assets and unfreeze his account without the investors being carried along especially in the light of both Themap.ng and Anyanso Mma holding investors incommunicado.”

They however contended that “while there is no doubt that EFCC has no collaboration with Mr. Anyanso Mma and Themap.ng to do away with investors funds, the agency’s long delay to either prosecute Anyanso Mma or release/unblock the investors’ funds and the assets purchased with investors’ funds so as to alleviate investor’s plight is making a lot of investors believe otherwise.”

So they have asked that EFCC should either prosecute Anyanso Mma and all his collaborators in this monumental suspected Ponzi scheme or release/unfreeze forthwith (with the investors’ consent), all funds and assets belonging to or purchased by Anyanso Mma, with investors’ monies and make refund of the funds to investors.

Several efforts made by AtlanticNewsOnline to speak with Mr. Anyanso Mma via his phone line (09062011117) failed as the line was continuously switched off.  Similar efforts to reach his wife; Mrs. Chiamaka Stephanie Mma via her own line (07068803665) with a view to getting their side of the story proved abortive as calls put across were all diverted.

Written by: Frank Oshanugor

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20 Comments

  • Omoowo Nurudeen

    Anyanso mma is a big fraudster. Efcc should get him arrested and pay all the investors.

  • Chioma

    A murderer and criminal. I don’t do ponzi, but I invested because I saw I good business plan. That’s how buried my 600k that took me many years to save. I will continue to swear go for you until I get my money back. Cuz u can not eat my fruit of labor.

  • Kelvin

    Anyanso Mma and his cohorts has destroy homes, marriages and some people are dead from this shock. He deceived people claiming he runs a logistics business, asking us to buy bikes and he will use them for delivery and latter pay us. He fraudulently take money from innocent Nigerians and don’t want to pay back. He is a criminal

  • Kelvin

    The map ng is a fraudulent company

  • Alawlee....Lagos

    The Efcc needs to come to the aid of the investors. A lot of people have died, some have lost their means of livelihood, homeless and some are in great debt. Actions should be taken by the commission to prevent re-occurrence of this kind of fraudulent business practices in the name of investment.

  • Paschal

    This guy is wicked,a pastor friend of mine get me into this and I invested some millions.the pastor don’t even know the map was fake

  • Oluwatobi Sanyaolu

    Themap and Anyanso MMA pay investors their hard earn money since last year, some have died while many have escaped narrow suicide because of your wickedness

  • Bamisaye Oluwaseyi

    Anyanso MMA should not get away with this fraudulent acts…He should refund every investors monies…He is a thief and a Scam!!

  • Oludele

    Anyanso mma is a certified and strategic thief who provided realities with evidence only to scam those who trusted him by investing in his business. After the scam he has been making excuses even when he was offered help in resolving and settling his investors. This Anyanso is a flight risk and the efcc should do the needful.

  • Charles

    Never seen an heartless, non chalant lair as this anyanso mma before, it shall never be well with you. People please forget anything crowd funding no matter how real it looks or how enticing or reasonable the returns may seem, let those incharge go to the banks and borrow money if their businesses are genuine

  • Mary Ozigagu

    EFCC please come to our rescue, lives were lost due to these and it’s not fair people are being treated this way. I’m an investor too

  • Dotun Ogunlade

    The EFCC need to come out and clear the air on this case. People’s lives and livelihoods are connected to this and they can’t continue saying ‘The matter is still under investigation’ almost one full year later. This appears like there is a game play and people can’t just move on! We need help, we need support, we need justice, we need our monies refunded. Anyanso Mma is currently hiding under the veil of EFCC and it will be grossly unfortunate to allow this injustice happen.

  • Dotun Ogunlade

    EFCC need to come out and clear the air on this case and help the victims get justice. It’s not enough to continue to say ‘The matter is still under investigation’ after almost a whole year whereas the victims are dying, losing their homes, seeing their children sent out of school, withdrawing from school themselves, etc. It is enough to be defrauded but when it looks like there is a game play from the same agency that should protect you, then this leaves a lot to be desired.

    We deserve and demand justice, we seek and demand accountability and fairness in the way the investigation is carried out and need the support of EFCC as an agency to get our monies back. Anyanso Mma continues to say the EFCC is the reason we have not been paid and EFCC say the matter is under investigation. We need your help, we need your support, we need this urgently so we can get paid.

  • Mercy

    Ayanso MMA the scammer, may God disappoint you, Efcc will work to favor investors and not a theif and scammer

  • Oke Ibidapo

    So many families have been destroyed because of this guy.please pay us our monies

  • Sikiru Bakare

    The stupid quy called Anyanso is busy advertising Airport taxi on his face book account to deceive whoever that comes across the publications that he is not into ponzi scheme.No matter what you do Anyanso,your time to dance naked at the village square has come.You must dance it well.

  • Amara

    Anyanso Mma the tears and blood of investors will not let you be, pay us our money!

    Anyanso Mma of TheMapng and his accomplices should be made to face the law for their crimes.

  • Latona Akinbode

    This guy Anyanso Mma is an unrepentant scammer, a hardened criminal. He’s not worthy to be called a human being as he’s so inhumane and barbaric. EFCC should come to Investors’ aid and cause all funds collected by this fraudster to be given to their owners. Lived that have been lost and the ones that have been rendered useless and unproductive since last year need justice now.

  • DorisGod

    I’m so shocked with what the Map and Anyanso mma is doing. EFCC should please come to our aid. This man is a devil in humans form he needs to be arrested. My friends that i convinced to invest are not in good terms with me anymore. Please give us back our capital we don’t need your percentage again.