A mass transit company operating in Ebonyi State, UDISAM Mass Transit Company, has lodged formal complaints with the Inspector General of Police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and other law enforcement agencies over what it describes as an advance fee fraud scheme involving a former state commissioner and his accomplices.
According to petitions dated April 3 and April 22, 2026, submitted through the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria and legal counsel, the company’s director, Comrade James Igwe, accused Hon. Celestine Nwali, a former Commissioner for Transport, and several others of obtaining money through deceptive means.
The transport firm stated that it had previously obtained approval and paid necessary charges to the Ebonyi State Government for a loading bay at the Central Motor Park in Abakaliki under the prior administration. However, when the new government took over, the ex-commissioner reportedly approached the company, asserting control over motor park operations and instructing that payments be channeled through him and his agents.
Believing the instructions to be legitimate, the company paid N400,000 to individuals presented as representatives of the former commissioner. Problems emerged when the firm discovered irregularities concerning the payment. Subsequently, the accused parties allegedly mobilized suspected thugs to disrupt the company’s operations, block business activities, and issue violent threats.
The petition further claims that some individuals, reportedly clad in military attire, engaged in acts of intimidation, laid siege to the company’s premises, and posed a serious danger to the lives of the director, staff, and workers. The complainant is urging security agencies to probe the matter, bring the perpetrators to justice, and ensure the safety of lives and property, warning that failure to act could lead to a breakdown of law and order.
When contacted, the former commissioner, Hon. Celestine Nwali, stated he was in a meeting and could not respond to the allegations. Mr. Toochukwu Nwali, whose account was allegedly used to receive the money on behalf of the ex-commissioner, acknowledged a dispute with the company’s director, whom he referred to as Mr. Samanja, but he was reportedly in Ikwo Local Government Area and did not respond to further inquiries.