In this second piece, WikkiTimes reports on how MKYROC found itself in a situation that could best be described as ‘from frying pan to the fire’ or from ‘bad to worst’, in its effort to secure a website through which philanthropists and donor agencies from all corners of the globe could support its activities.
While Dr Suleiman Shuaibu Shinkafi allegedly, through dubious means obtained two million Naira (2,000,000.00) for the centre’s website design without delivering anything, his counterpart Adamu Sadiq Abubakar, the MD Micro Computer Kaduna fraudulently squeezed out of the centre two hundred and forty one thousand Naira (241,000.00) on the same website debacle.
Had Dr Suleiman Shuaibu Shinkafi not failed MKYROC, Mallam Abdullahi Muhammed Tahir would probably not have known Adamu Abubakar Sadiq, the Managing Director of Micro Computer Kaduna.
Literally, Adamu Abubakar Sadiq’s entry into MKYROC website saga, could also be blamed on Dr Shinkafi, after the later engaged the former to construct the site, but failed to honour the contractual agreement between them.
Information available to WikkiTimes indicates that, Dr Shinkafi engaged Sadiq to construct MKYROC’s Website at the cost of fifty thousand naira (50,000.00), and gave him twenty thousand Naira down payments.
Sadiq reportedly finished the work within one week, but Dr Shinkafi was nowhere to be found to take ownership of the work and pay the outstanding money.
After waiting endlessly, Sadiq noticed a mobile phone number on MKYROC’s documents given to him by Dr Shinkafi, as part of processes for the construction of the site.
Sadiq called the number, which happened to be Abdullahi Muhammed Tahir’s (the proprietor of MKYROC) and narrated his business engagements with Dr Shinkafi and the status of their website construction.
The elated Abdullahi Muhammed Tahir, who did not hear anything tangible on the website after almost a year of extortion by Dr Shinkafi, agreed to complete the remaining money, for the website to come on.
On the 13th of November 2017, MKYROC lodged twenty thousand Naira (20,000.00) into the personal account of Sadiq Adamu domiciled with Access Bank (0727150624) to complete the remaining work on the site.
After designing the site and hosting it, Sadiq subsequently came to Bauchi where he handed over MKYROC’s ‘web address and pass word’.
“We treated him in a royal manner. First we received him in the motor park with a large delegation, lodged him in a hotel, fed him different dishes throughout his stay with us and gave him thirteen thousand Naira (13,000.00) as transport money” says Abdullahi Muhammed Tahir.
It was during this visit that Sadiq suggested the infusion of payment portal into the website and suggested ‘interswitch’ in particular, through which people could donate to the centre.
Interswitch—a cash cow for Sadiq
While Adamu Abubakar Sadiq successfully designed and hosted MKYROC’s website for 1 year, he however failed to deliver the payment portal, which he suggested to the centre despite receiving payments.
“Sadiq actually designed and hosted the website for us as agreed and within record time. Our problem with him was the payment gateway he suggested, that was never attached to the website despite spending huge amount of money on it”, recounts Abdullahi Muhammed Tahir.
WikkiTimes learnt that, MKYROC has lost nearly two hundred and forty one thousand Naira (241,000.00) to the interswitch project- a plug-in that was never added to the site.
The largest amount being one hundred and forty thousand Naira (140,000.00) that was paid to Sadiq on December 8, 2017 for the ‘interswitch’ gateway-which Sadiq said has an office in Abuja.
From then on Sadiq continued to receive money in sums ranging from fifty to four thousand Naira (50,000-4,000) under various guises such as travel to Abuja from Kaduna, accommodation in Abuja and feeding.
MKYROC’s formal complaint to Consumer Protection Council
Having lost so much to the ‘website project’ with virtually nothing to show, MKYROC management felt cheated by the duo (Dr Suleiman Shuiabu Shinkafi and Adamu Sadiq Abubakar), and therefore lodged a formal complaint with the Bauchi zonal office of Consumer Protection Council CPC.
The letter dated 6th April, 2018 and titled “Fraudulent practices abuse of office and consumer interests over acquisition of website in favour of Mallam Kawu Youth Rehabilitation and Orphanage Centre Bauchi was addressed to the north east zonal coordinator of the council based in Bauchi.
After studying MKYROC’s complaint, CPC in a written letter on the 19th of April, 2018 and signed by A. W Achimugu on behalf of Director General of the council, said the matter reported fell within the “ambit of fraud.”
“I am directed to inform you that the council has reviewed your case and observed that your complaint falls within the purview of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)”, the letter read in parts.
The council therefore, transferred the case to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC for ‘appropriate action’ on the case.
After transferring the case to Abuja, Abdullahi Mohammed Tahir said they were invited to Abuja by officials of the anti-graft agency to further buttress their points. “We were invited to Abuja by someone who claims he was calling on behalf of EFCC. “And we outrightly told him that, we cannot go to Abuja because of paucity of funds. “I then asked him to transfer the case to Gombe zonal office, since the alleged offence was committed in Bauchi”, narrated Abdullahi Muhammed Tahir.
The visibly angry and frustrated Abdullahi Mohammed Tahir says “the whole thing was scam upon scam; I don’t trust anybody on this matter any longer, because only God will rescue me out of this artificial mayhem caused by my fellow human beings”.
He has completely lost interest to further pursue his rights and seek redress.
The problem is with Interswitch and not me-Adamu Sadiq
When contacted, the MD of Micro Computer Kaduna Adamu Abubakar Sadiq told this Medium that he had successfully designed and hosted MKYROC’s website for 1 year based on his botched contract with Dr Suleiman Shinkafi , and later the centre itself.
According to him, the only problem he had was the payment gate to be plugged-in to the website that was never achieved till date; though the site is now down due to nonrenewal of subscription by MKYROC.
Adamu Sadiq blamed the problem on ‘Interswitch Nigeria’ which he said failed to plug-in the payment gateway despite receiving payment to that effect.
He said apart from the one hundred and twenty thousand paid in bulk to Interswitch, the remaining money MKYROC gave him were for transportation to Abuja, feeding and accommodation to resolve the problem—something that lingered and was never successful.
As at the time of compiling this report, EFCC is yet to transfer the case to its Gombe zonal office as requested by MKYROC’s proprietor Mallam Abdullahi Muhammed Tahir.
The centre was now robbed of over 2.3 million naira on the pretext of web development and grant facilitation with donor agencies—to which no single Kobo was received as donation or grant, while the two prime suspects move about freely.
