The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency NIMASA, Dr Bashir Jamoh has written the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC to thoroughly investigate the N1.5trillion and $9million money laundering allegation levelled against him in order to clear his hard earned name and reputation.

Recall that an online medium, the Point- Blank published by one Jackson Ude, based in the United State, had in a report last Friday alleged that United Kingdom investigators allegedly burst a Fidelity Bank account no: 4020949836 linked to the NIMASA DG, where various sums of money including N1.5trillion and another $9,557,312.50 were allegedly found. The report also erroneously alleged that Talent Expertise International, whose representative, one Hamza Ibrahim Jamo, is the legitimate owner of the account was founded by the NIMASA-boss.

However, in a letter dated May 24, 2021 with reference no: NIMASA2020/DG/EFCC/vol1/09, addressed to the chairman of the anti-graft agency and personally signed by the DG, he observed that the report, which has been circulating on the social media impugn his integrity, character and family name, which have been built over the years.

He therefore urged the anti-graft agency to investigate the allegations thoroughly with a view to getting to the root of the matter and thereby clear and save his character and family name from further damage.

The letter reads in part: “I write to bring to your attention the attached online publication and tweets that have gone viral on the social media since May 21, 2021. The publication emanated from series of tweets of one Jackson Ude, alleging that the sums of N1.5trillion and another $9, 557, 312.50 were traced to my personal account.

“The allegation of monetary laundering, which impugn my integrity, character and family name, and has been circulating on the social media, also suggested that the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria be invited by the security agencies to give reasons why such huge sums of money was transferred to my personal account instead of the Single Treasury Account.

“In view of this weighty allegation and the insidious and perniciously damaging effects on the government and the country, I hereby request that a thorough and painstaking investigation be carried by your commission with a view to unravelling the truth or accuracy of the allegation. This is to put the records straight in the public domain please”.

But contrary to the claims that Talents Expertise was founded by the NIMASA DG, Chief Executive Officer of the company, John Philip in a statement noted that the DG NIMASA has no link with the company, which he also disclosed, operates from Dubai, the United Arab Emirate UAE and Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city.

He also disclosed that the company, which is a training organisation, does not have any form of relationship with NIMASA whatsoever either as client, contractor or any business relationship, expressing shock and disappointment caused by the identity mix up.

The statement reads in part: “I wish to confirm that Talent Expertise International operating out of Dubai, UAE and Abuja, Nigeria has no connection with Dr. Bashir Yusuf Jamoh, Director General of NIMASA.

Investigations however revealed that Ude, the publisher of the online medium was discussing with one Hamza Ibrahim Jamo, a representative of Talent Expertise International, who is a retired member of staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation NNPC, who is quite different and distinct from the NIMASA DG as his surname does not have the letter ‘H’. This is an indication that the writer of the report had a mistaken identity, as was indicated by a WhatsApp chat on an MTN phone line.

Available records also show that the Fidelity Bank account number: 4020949836 with BVN 22151837650 and GSM phone number 08034517410 linked to the account truly belong to Hamza Ibrahim Jamo, who is a representative of Talent Enterprise, having retired from the NNPC.

Investigation further showed that while Ude was chatting with Hamza Ibrahim Jamo, he erroneously thought he was chatting with the DG NIMASA, who also goes by the name Jamoh.

Hamza Ibrahim Jamo, who later spoke with newsmen on phone said: “Mr Jackson Ude, who publishes the online news medium is a serial blackmailer. I retired from the NNPC after 35 years of service and all my gratuity and other benefits were paid into that Fidelity Bank account where Ude alleged had N1.5trillion”.

He insisted that he never had such a huge amount in his account, wondering why any rational individual would leave such an amount of money in the bank at this current period of development in the country. It was also gathered that the account in question had since been closed, as many fraudsters made repeated efforts to clone or hack the account, which would have hurt everyone.

He told journalists during the telephone interview from his Kaduna base that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC once invited him between August and September 2019 when it was discovered that there were plans by some criminals to hack into the account.