… Investigations ongoing
By Achadu Gabriel, kaduna
The question on the lips of most residents of Byazin area of Kubwa village in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are the whereabouts of Haj. Mariram Omayoza Suleiman.
Haj. Mariam Suleiman, is been accused of allegedly swindling thousands of the Bayzin, Kubwa village residents of multi- millions of naira, most of the victims are widows, women, retirees and others.
Haj. Suleiman, the woman Managing Director and founder of Abuja based Famhzi Agro Investment Company located in Byazin in Kubwa village reportedly collected millions of naira from her victims as investors but failed to pay the profits and capitals when the company collapsed.
According to information obtained from a victims from Regina Ambrose, a widows and others, Haj. Mariam Suleiman who promised to pay the investors their profits and capital about two years ago when the company failed, has not fulfilled her promises.
The MD was reportedly arrested by security operatives several times over the sharp practices but was later set free after interrogations in Abuja without paying the investors their monies till date.
Long before her arrest, Haj. Suleiman reportedly engaged the services of military and police security at different times to shield herself and the company’s workers from attacked by some aggrieved investors.
All efforts to reach out to the MD through her phone and WhatsApp messages proved abortive as there was not respond now.
Investigation however revealed that problem started when the company failed to pay the monthly profits to the investors, estimated at over 11, 000 people, prior before April to July 2020, as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.
Each investors had reportedly committed between N50,000 – N500, 000 and N1 million – N10 million respectively, and even more depending on the strength of their financial capacity.
Earlier, Haj. Suleiman, in some of her WhatsApp video message to investors and other top management staffs of the company, had promised to refund the arrears of the profits and capital after series of threats on them by investors due to mass failure of payment of profits.
One man who invested heavily in the Famhzi Interbiz Company allegedly attempted suicide but later transfered his anger to the company’s properties and destroyed some parts due to continues promised and failure to pay his profits he was in dared need, eye witness has said.
Findings also revealed that the victims, mostly less privileged Nigerians who invested their last cards in the company are still looking forward to deal with the MD, and other top management staffs, as a result of failure to pay their profits and capital, as earlier promised.
The company office ,originally located at No.15 Zone B, Madaki Lane, Byazin, in kubwa village, Abuja, allegedly collected hundreds of millions of naira from interested investors over the years as capital, using persuasion.
Our correspondent who visited the company recently reported that the premises was deserted, and without lives.
The MD and other management staffs were perpetually absent from the office, apparently due to consistent threats and attacked they had witnessed by some aggressive investors who could no longer afford to wait.
A victim investor and widow Mrs Regina Ambrose who invested in the company told our reporter that the MD only come the office with driver, in the night, holding her head down hidden, or the in booth of her car, according to office eyewitness neighborhood.
Recalled that a female admin officer who gave her name as Mercy had told a journalist who’s also a victim company, that no management staffs attend the office anymore for long.
A company security officer had threatened journalist who’s a victim with attack for recording threat statements uttered by some aggrieved investors waiting for the MD, HOD and other management staff in the premises for not paying them their profits and capital in 2020.
The company flier obtained earlier by our reporter also stated that the organization paid their investors and partners based on the duration of their Investments.
“Monthly investments will earn 20% plus their original capital less than 20% in the fort months which is retained as registration fees. We also gives investors the benefit of collecting their rewards in livestock”, it stated, among others.
Insider sources however disclosed that the profits started dropping from 20 to 10 percent before the COVID-19 pandemic, in which the company blamed as reasons for failure to pay profits, adding that business activities in term of patronage was down due to the pandemic.
Bubble bursted when investors, who were promised April 2020 for profits payment failed to received it till date, as many failed to received their usual monthly bank alerts payment. Brekete, Ahmed Musa, Human right radio, it was gathered, invited Haj. Suleiman for interview who gave some months time to pay but was aborted due to the challenges the station owner faced within the period.
A woman and widow who was recorded, issuing threats, said she was going to come and collect her money by all means, lamenting that she invested millions and wondered while she should left to be hungry because of non-payment of profit and capital invested too long.
Police station in Byazin had once confirmed that they have received several reports and notice of threats by investors from the company but said it was purely civil matter. An investor who did not want her name in print said the company promised to payback capitals to investors but failed to meet up with their promise.
Findings revealed that the company’s management mismanaged the capitals generated by embarking on land acquisition and building of edifice with the investors money within the areas, and ran short of funds to sustain the payment of profits to investors, coupled with the pandemic.
