Investors Want CBN’s Intervention In Failed Investments

Some investors allegedly fleeced by failed investment houses in Plateau have called on the Central Bank of Nigeria to investigate commercial banks involved in the alleged scam.

Investors in one of the firms, numbering more than 50,000, claimed they had lost about N1.8 billion to the venture.

Counsel to the investors, Mr Gideon Ngwen, told newsmen last week in Jos that 4112 investment receipts had been verified.

He said the verification exercise allowed the investors to ascertain how much they had lost to the failed investment houses.

The counsel said he had briefed his clients to take up the matter legally to facilitate release of their funds trapped in commercial banks involved.

“Huge deposits were domiciled in one of the first generation banks and some other commercial banks.

“We call on the CBN to investigate the matter for immediate release of the funds to their owners as it was done outside the fundamental principles regulating banking operations in Nigeria.

“Any act to defraud the people of Plateau will not go unchallenged, “ he said.

The two offices of one of the investment houses were sealed by officials of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) during their sensitisation visit to the state.

Many investment houses in Jos have folded up in the past two months.

Mr Samuel Numbers, the Chairman of the Committee of Investors, said that each of the affected investors paid N200 to raise the legal fees.