Aggrieved Nigerians have written a petition to the EFCC, urging them to investigate comedian Sabinus over his involvement in the fraudulent scheme known as Al Mining.

The Ponzi scheme company, AI Mining, promised investors high returns on their investments within a short period of time. However, the scheme collapsed and many investors lost their money.

The petitioners alleged that Sabinus, who has a large following on social media, used his platform to lure unsuspecting Nigerians into investing their hard-earned money into the fraudulent scheme.

They also accused the comedian of profiting from the scheme as one of its ambassadors and urged the EFCC to investigate and bring him to justice.

The comedian, it was gathered, has been silent since the app crashed.

According to reports gathered by Biztellers, the Ponzi-like initiative is allegedly owned by one Chiamaka Glory.

AI mining became popular last year with more than 10,000 downloads from Google app store. It has different levels from level 0 to level 5. Investing on the app starts from level 1 with the minimum of $20 (9,300) and maximum of $7003 (3.2 million in naira) for level 5.

A check by Biztellers on Google play store shows that the app has crashed, leaving investors due for payment stranded.

Some of these victims took to the app store to share their frustrations through review with no response from the developer.

One of the victims, Temitope Teemoney wrote on the app store that, “This app has taken alot of peoples life, suicide has been committed invested over 600k on this app and suddenly they disable the withdrawal can’t withdraw my both capital and everything again. Am in a serious pain right now. Please Open the withdrawal function again let me withdraw my money. Approved the withdrawal !!!!!!”

Comedian Sabinus started advertising for the ponzi scheme last year via his social media accounts. Some national TV including NTA, silver bird and radio stations also aired adverts for the ponzi scheme.

The petition by some of the affected investors to EFCC read: “Prior to mischievous scam activities carried against many innocent Nigerians by a company named AI MINING on 30th of March, 2023, whose ambassador in Nigeria is one Mr Chukwuemeka Emmanuel Ejekwu, a comedian celebrity popularly called Mr Funny / Sabinus.”

“We want this body to invite Mr Funny Sabinus Chukwuemeka to reveal the identity of the people behind AI MINING since he can’t be contracted by ghosts.

“We are also using this letter to tell you to help reveal the real identity of the entities behind the license/ certificate issued to AI Mining operating at Church gate Towers Abuja 2nd floor.

“Sequence to this also, we want the anti-graft agency to extend invitation to the General Manager of NTA, FAAJI FM, WAZOBIA to also reveal the identity of people that contracted them to run series of jingles for them under the company named AI MINING, that made millions of innocent Nigerians to invest on their platform leveraging on the integrity of those stations.”

One of the scammed investors who spoke with journalists said, “Please help us, poor masses are dying because any borrowed money to invest because of all the evidence provided by them with TV and radio stations that advertised to them.

“We got the advert on NTA, Wazobia, Silver Bird and Sabinus and other means about AI mining, that it is real and genuine, so many people because it was coming from national television stations keyed into it. After some months that many Nigerians have invested a huge amount of money, they closed the app and refused to return people’s money.

“Many borrowed money for that investment, many used their hard earned money to invest and a lot are dying because of their huge amount they invested. Help us please.”

Similar to this development was in 2022, when some celebrities including pop star David Adeleke, better known as Davido, Divine Ikubor, known professionally as Rema, and Williams Uchemba endorsed and advertised a Ponzi scheme company, RackSterli, which allegedly defrauded many people.

However according to human right lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, said celebrities can be sued for advertising a fraudulent ponzi scheme.

According to Olajengbesi, “Supreme Court in Afegbai v. A.G Edo State & Anor. (2001) LPELR-193 (SC) has stated that the state of mind, knowledge or belief of the representor is immaterial in determining whether or not there is a misrepresentation.

“Secondly, a Brand Ambassador shoulders the responsibility which is in tandem with the responsibility of a promoter. By virtue of Section 61 and 62 of the Company and Allied Matters Act, their liability is not only to the public but even to the organisation they represent.

“In a similar view, under both Criminal and Penal Codes, whoever induces another to do what they wouldn’t have wilfully done is said to have committed cheating if such inducement resulted in the loss of pecuniary or proprietary rights. See Section 320 1(b) of Penal Code.Section 320 1(b) of Penal Code.

“Consequently, it goes without saying that a celebrity who holds himself out as an agent, promoter or ambassador of a company and misled members of the society to believe in a state of affairs which turn out false, is guilty and liable upon conviction. It is not a defence that the so-called ambassador had a good motive, what the law looks into is the existence of a wrongful misrepresentation which the public acted upon and which resulted in damages.”

According to Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission, available data generated by the Norrenberger Financial Investment scheme said last month, that Nigerians have lost over N300bn to ponzi schemes over the last five years.

So many Nigerians have lost their lives due to shock or suicide over failed ponzi scheme while others mental health were tampered with.

Some of the popular ponzi scheme in the past include: Mavrodi Mondial Movement known as MMM, Twinkas, Ultimate Cycler, Get-Help Worldwide, and so much more.