A Nigerian producer identified as Mr Nasiru Ali AKA ‘Kozzographa’ has threatened to sue the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for wrongly parading him as an internet fraudster popularly referred to as Yahoo boy.
According to reports from NAN, Ali was among the 10 suspected internet fraudsters paraded on May 17 by the anti-graft agency.
Men of the EFCC had raided the Abuja based producer’s residence at Favour Land Estate, Life Camp, Abuja, where him and some others where arrested on grounds of suspected internet related fraud activities.
The commission had claimed they were working off an anonymous tip and that the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigations were finished.
The producer in a petition to the EFCC Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, on May 31, demanded a compensation of N100 million and an unreserved apology for wrongfully arresting him and disseminating defamatory information to the public about him.
The musician, through his lawyer, Mr Pelumi Olajengbensi, said that he would drag the EFCC to court for refusing to retract the negative publications about him after a seven-day ultimatum.
“He lost a contract of five million naira with United Global Resolve for Peace (UNGREP), which he had been interviewed for and hitherto offered unequivocally because the contractors became disturbed and concerned by the publication thus doubtful of his reputation.
“He has been ostracised by his colleagues and associates as well as senior associates who usually refer to him for jobs in the past, thereby losing their trust and reference.
“He has been bombarded with a barrage of calls from friends and family members calling his reputation to question, while expressing their disappointment and indicating their intention to cut all connection with him forthwith.
“His relationship with his intended life partner has been irreparably strained by the negative publicity generated by the unlawful arrest, particularly the publication on your media platform on same matter.
“The publication has led to close clients taking their jobs off him and taking them to other persons thereby amounting to great level of loss and in some cases varying level of indebtedness,” Ali’s lawyer stated in the petition to EFCC.