Image Global: Court orders fleeing Ajetunmobi couple to pay ponzi victims N19bn

 

Imagine Global Holding Company Ltd, Imagine Global Solutions Ltd, Bamise Samson Ajetunmobi, and Elizabeth Anuoluwapo Ajetunmobi have been found guilty by a Lagos State High Court in Ikoyi.

Justice Taofiquat Oyekan-Abdullahi ordered them to pay nearly N19 billion to victims of their alleged ponzi scheme on Thursday.

The judge issued his decision in a case brought by 27 claimants acting on their own behalf and 118 investors in Imagine Global Solutions Ltd.

The company provided a lending service to small and medium-sized businesses, offering 22 percent interest on loans received and 10 percent returns to investors.

Through their attorneys Adetunji Adedoyin-Adeniyi of AAA Chambers and Banwo & Ighodalo and Co., the litigants appeared before the court.

In a suit marked LD/579CM/2021, they sought several declarations and orders against the couple and the companies.

In preliminary objections filed by their counsel Olukunle Nathan-Marsh, the Ajetunmobis, who did not appear in court, asked the court to throw out the case.

But Justice Abdullahi-Oyekan dismissed the objections and granted all the declarations and orders sought by the investors.

The judge ordered the couple to pay the N15,541,350 at 10 percent interest per annum, “being the outstanding investment sums accruing to the 1st to 17th claimants, who are investors; together with all other listed investors, in the second defendant’s company, upon the maturity of the respective investments and the accrued return on investments thereon”.

The Ajetunmobis were also ordered to pay N3,387,450 at 10 percent interest per annum, “being the outstanding investment sums accruing to the 18th to 27th claimants who are investors; together with all other listed investors, in the second defendant’s company, upon the maturity of the respective investments and the accrued return on investments thereon.”

Imagine Global was registered in 2017 and had around 100,000 subscribers.

The couple reportedly fled to London, where they incorporated a branch in August 2019.