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EXPOSED: Andrew Folorunsho Alli, Wale Tinubu, Gregory Uanseru, Adedoyin Adeyinka Femi Otedola Others kept N117 billion assets in two tax haven banks

In Nigeria, about four in 10 persons may be poor, with the figure reaching about nine in ten in some states, as they earn less than N377 daily, according to a 2019 estimate by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), but not these Nigerians who have now been seen to possess multi-billion naira assets.

Not many of them would be seen on the Forbes’ wealthiest list, but these 21 Nigerians are worth a treasure.

The said Nigerians are among the more than 35 current and former world leaders, more than 330 public officials, and some 130 billionaires from over 91 countries and territories, whose massive fortune was a part of assets and deals kept in offshore tax-havens.

These Nigerians, listed below, include two former military governors, a former minister, an erstwhile presidential adviser and some of Nigeria’s leading business people.

Who are they and what do they own?

1. Hakeem Adebayo Folawiyo and Lisa Folawiyo

Hakeem Adebayo Folawiyo and Lisa Folawiyo belong to the third generation of the Folawiyo dynasty, a wealthy family whose earlier patriarchs were popular for their wealth in the southwest of Nigeria, especially Lagos.

Records show Mr Folawiyo is one of the two directors and a shareholder of Kinexus Data Service Limited, a Lagos-based company registered in 2016. He is also a director of Folawiyo Energy Limited.

Before it was dissolved 14 years ago, the 48-year-old business mogul served as a director at Lacemere (UK) Limited.

Lisa Folawiyo, 45, a fashion designer, is the founder and director of Lisa Folawiyo Studio, a fashion line she founded in 2005, where she sells ready-to-wear Ankara textiles by fusing “traditional patterns with contemporary silhouettes that are hand finished.”

Lisa Folawiyo
Lisa Folawiyo

She was the 2012 Africa Fashion Award winner and made the Business of Fashion’s BOF500 list in 2015.

Both Folawiyos are settlors and beneficial owner of the Zayzac Trust which is in turn owed by their offshore company, Capela Holdings Limited. The trust was, as at October 2016, worth $300 million and £2.2 million (about N1.7 billion) in cash, bonds, equities and mutual funds and property holdings and managed by Standard Chartered Trust (Jersey).

The co-own BVI company, Allendale Properties, worth $1.5 million and £2.5 million (about N2.8 billion), kept with Standard Chartered Bank Jersey.

In total, the duo has an asset worth N4.5 billion in the bank.

2. Harry Thakurdas Thadani and Bindu Deepak Bakshani

Mr Thadani is a Nigerian who lives in Nigeria with Indian ancestry.

Born October 1969, Mr Thadani is an industrialist who has had stints as the director of companies, including Good Food Product UK Limited, a UK-based packaging company incorporated in 2004 that has since been dissolved.

Alongside Bindu Deepak Bakshani, also a Nigerian but with Sri Lankan origin, Mr Thadani owns a company, Divina Holdings Limited, which was worth £1,554,000 (N593.5 million) in cash, bonds, equities and mutual funds and property holdings kept with Standard Chartered Trust (Jersey).

The duo also owned offshore firm Pink Coral Trading Limited which had 808, 900 pounds (about 627 million naira) investment portfolio with Standard Chartered Bank Jersey.

3. Gregory Friday Uanseru

The president and CEO of Greg Continental Agency (GCA) Energy Limited, Gregory Friday Uanseru, whose credentials shows he deals in machines and equipment in the oil and gas industry, owns Heritage Group International Limited.

Standard Chartered Bank, Jersey, helped the oil magnate oversee a £2.9 million worth of property, $66.1 and £2.3 million in cash, bonds, equities and mutual funds.

4. Stanley Adeniyi Jegede

Stanley Jegede. Credit: Phase 3 Telecoms
Stanley Jegede. Credit: Phase 3 Telecoms

Mr Jegede owned Latote Assets Limited, HG Properties Limited and Latote Trust. Through the three entities, he had assets worth $1.7 million and £1 million kept with Standard Chartered Bank in Jersey.

This means the 54-year-old chairman of Phase 3 Telecoms had about N1.8 billion worth of treasure in offshore companies.

5. Andrew Folorunsho Alli

Among other top corporate positions he has held home and abroad, which included being the CEO of Africa Finance Corporation, Andrew Folorunso Alli serves as the CEO of Southbridge Group, a pan-African financial advisory firm, and non-executive director at MTN Nigeria, CDC Group, a U.K. government-owned DFI and of the Development Bank of Nigeria.

Andrew Folorunso Alli
Andrew Folorunso Alli

The Nigerian-British was the ultimate beneficial owner of offshore firms Zigzag Africa Limited, Zigzag Trading Limited and the Zigzag Trust. The three entities held assets worth $3.9 million (approximately N2.3 billion) with Standard Chartered Bank (Jersey).

6. Aderemi Muyinudeen Makanjuola

Aderemi Muyinudeen Makanjuola
Aderemi Muyinudeen Makanjuola

The patriarch of the Makanjuolas, Aderemi Muyinudeen Makanjuola, chairs the Board of Caverton Offshore Support Group, and using Bramble Offshore Limited, he had assets worth $4,000 and £3 million with the Standard Chartered Bank (Jersey).

7. Adeniyi Ibraheem Makanjuola

Adeniyi Ibraheem Makanjuola, 41, co-founded Caverton Helicopters, a subsidiary of his father’s parent company. Alongside Oludarafunmi Clarissa Makanjuola, 39, he owned Templefield Investments Holdings Limited which kept its assets worth £9.5 million (N7.4 billion) with Standard Chartered Bank (Jersey).

Adeniyi Ibraheem Makanjuola. Credit- Nairametrics.com
Adeniyi Ibraheem Makanjuola (Photo Credit – Nairametrics.com)

8. Chukwudalu Udemezue Mba

The consultant in financial services has Standard Chartered Trust (Guernsey) as a trustee of the Goree Trust owned by his offshore firm, Aravale Investing Limited. The company kept £606,700 (N470.2 million) in cash, stock and bonds with Standard Chartered Bank, Jersey.

9. Emmanuel Chukwuma Edozien

The late economist, who served as the chief economic adviser to the late President Shehu Shagari, died in 2019, aged 82.

Emmanuel Chukwuma Edozien
Emmanuel Chukwuma Edozien (Photo Credit: Statesman)

He owned the offshore firms: Erico Investments Limited, Larimer Holdings Limited, Mayqueen Properties Limited, Petalina Investments Limited, BEC Trust and Betemen Trust.

All assets are worth $42 million (N24.1 billion) and £2.7 million (N2.1 billion), totalling N26.2 billion in shares, bonds and property kept with Standard Chartered Bank in Jersey and London.

10. Anwar Manssour Jarmakani

The self-made industrial entrepreneur, who in 1963 migrated from Syria to Nigeria, where he has since been naturalised, is the founder and executive chairman of Jagal, a Nigerian conglomerate holding that deals in energy businesses and manages a diverse portfolio of investments.

Anwar Manssour Jarmakani
Anwar Manssour Jarmakani

Mr Jarmakani, 72, through his Starstone Holdings Limited, had $2,300 and £8.9 million (both N6.9 billion) worth of assets which included properties. The assets were kept with Standard Chartered Bank, Jersey.

11. Jonathan Tunde Ogbeha

The retired general, 74, was the administrator of Akwa Ibom and the defunct Bendel States during the military era and a two-term senator for the Kogi West constituency of Kogi State.

Jonathan Tunde Ogbeha
Jonathan Tunde Ogbeha

Documents from his financial dealing said he dealt in wireless telecommunication activities. Through his BVI company, Red Devils Investments Limited, he kept $5 million, (which is some N2.8 billion) with Standard Chartered Bank, Jersey.

12. Jubril Adewale Tinubu

Jubril Adewale Tinubu, the group chief executive of Oando PLC, owns Sloane Square Limited Investment Holdings which had $4.9 million (N2.8 billion) with Standard Chartered Bank, London.

Jubril Adewale Tinubu
Jubril Adewale Tinubu

13. Rilwan Olakunle Tinubu

Rilwan Tinubu is CEO of Nigerian company, Trojan Estates Limited. However, through his Wren Finance Limited and The Madison Trust, he held assets worth $14,100 and £4.9 million (totalling N3.8 billion) with Standard Chartered Bank, Jersey.

14. Muhammad Sani Bello

The retired colonel, a former military administrator of Kano State and ex-ambassador to Zimbabwe, is the father of the incumbent Niger State Governor. He chairs Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company Limited and Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited.

Muhammad Sani Bello
Muhammad Sani Bello

In 2013, Forbes ranked him 38th among Africa’s 40 richest people with a net worth of $500 million. In today’s worth, that’s N287.5 billion.

Mr Bello, 78, owns offshore firm Sandel Holdings Limited which kept a princely $39,800,000 (N22.9 billion) treasure in cash, bonds, equities and mutual funds with Standard Chartered Bank London. The assets are managed by Standard Chartered Trust, Guernsey.

15. Narenda Lakhi Chukni

The Indian-Nigerian, 56, with investments in real estate management, owned BVI firm Javelin Properties Limited. He had his $3.3 million (N2.6 billion) worth of assets in Standard Chartered Bank, Jersey.

16. Olufemi Peter Otedola

Olufemi Peter Otedola
Olufemi Peter Otedola

The billionaire businessman, with interests in oil and gas and power generation, owns Hampshire Venture Property Holdings Limited, a British Virgin Island company. That company and Mr Otedola’s Fenman 2 Settlement kept $34.4 million (N19.8 billion) with Standard Chartered Bank, Jersey.

17. Omatseyin Akere Ayida

Mr Ayida is CEO of Ruyat Oil Limited and board member of Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited. He is also the owner of Sunnysky Ventures Limited and the Akene Ayida Trust through which he kept $545,800 (N313.8 million) with Standard Chartered Bank, London.

The investment portfolio is managed by Standard Chartered Trust, Guernsey.

According to Trident Trust records, two other Nigerian business people: Atedo Peterside (former Chairman of Stanbic IBTC Bank) and Abayomi Aderemi Awobokun (CEO, Enyo Retail & Supply Limited) also had accounts with Standard Chartered Bank branches in Jersey and Singapore respectively. But the values of the assets are unknown.

While Mr Peterside owned ANAP Overseas Investment Limited and its associated trust, Atedo N.A. Peterside Overseas Trust, Mr Awobokun owned offshore firm, Kun-Smata Limited and the Kun-Smata Trust.

Trident Trust’s records also showed that two other Nigerians, including a former permanent secretary, had assets at Standard Bank, Jersey, which claims to provide offshore banking for individuals, corporate organisations and high net-worth clients.

18. Adedoyin Adebusola Adeyinka

Mr Adeyinka, 50, is managing director of Nigerian oil and gas firm, Acorn Petroleum Plc. He was also associated with CS Offshore S.A., a Panamanian shell company.

The businessman had 511, 860 dollars with Standard Bank Jersey through his Zang Worldwide Limited, a company he incorporated in the Isle of Man. Lumbro Nominees Jersey Limited is sole director of the company.

Mr Adeyinka also owns The Phillips Trust (for which Access Trustee Company Limited serves as trustee).

2. Phillips Asiodu

Mr Asiodu, 87, a retired permanent secretary, was special adviser on economic matters to Presidents Shehu Shagari (1983) and Olusegun Obasanjo (1999 to 2001). He was also minister for petroleum and mineral resources (1992 to 1993).

Mr Asiodu owned the offshore company Apolina Limited and the Philip Asiodu 1992 Voluntary Settlement which he created on October 23, 1992.

The former minister told his offshore business manager that the wealth held by the Trust originated from “savings, rents from existing properties, gratuity and retirement benefits and subsequently re-investment of some dividends.”

“The UBO (ultimate beneficial owner) retired from the Nigerian Civil Service in 1975 after serving in the position of Permanent Secretary for 10 years. He then set up a company incorporated in Nigeria called Medife Limited for consultancy, feasibility studies, advisory services on mobilisation of funding for new ventures,” Trident Trust said in one document.

The trust, which had a balance of 50,000 pounds in its account as of December 12, 2016, has since been dissolved.

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