Business

How popular Facebook blogger exposed ponzi scheme, the operator threatens to sue her

07/08/2021

Barisuka Craig, the founder of Barimike Group, a ponzi financial investment scheme has threatened a popular Facebook blogger, Adaobi Amadi for exposing his business models.

The scheme and the founder threatened Mrs Amadi with lawsuit whom they had made a brand ambassador after she suspected that the scheme was not genuine and asked people to exercise caution and do due diligence before investing their money.

She wrote of her encounter with them on Facebook.

THIS IS A VERY LONG POST….

I usually pride myself on being drama-free on this space, but events of the past few days has made it necessary for me to put this out; because sometimes the reality of life makes the very things you try hard to stay away from, become inevitable and hàng on your neck like an albatross.

The past 72 hours have been very turbulent with a lot of whispers here and there. Some of you have also read some of the innuendos I’ve been posting on my wall for a few days now.

I’ve therefore resolved to put this out for the sake of truth and justice.

On June 29th, I was contacted by Barisuka Craig, to be an ambassador for his brand, Barimike Group.

He talked about it being a logistics company and I was even more excited because logistics is a field I’m particularly interested in.

He also mentioned that they also have an investment scheme for investors to invest a minimum of 100k, and were working on opening a restaurant.

However, he specifically told me to NOT talk about the logistics branch as they couldn’t meet up with orders anymore. He said I should concentrate on the investment scheme instead, because that’s what he wanted to promote.

It seemed odd to me, but he persuaded me that his was a genuine scheme and that he would use the monies invested to generate ROI for his investors and pay them as at when due, so I believed him and I agreed to do exactly as he asked.

He wanted me to do 3 posts a week, but I opted for a lesser contract of 2 posts a week for one month only. I needed to confirm if indeed his establishment was as genuine as he ascribed it to be.

During initial negotiations, we had some bouts of conversations ranging from my curiosity about the reliability of his schemes, to how much he had been paying other promoters.

Admittedly, as at that first time, I was curious to know reasons for varying remunerations, why some Ambassadors were paid higher than me, to which he clarified, and I had no further issues with that, as our negotiation was amicably and satisfactorily resolved.

Besides, as I consistently pointed out, money itself, was (and still is) not my issue; as I placed greater premium on the integrity and genuineness of the scheme first, above all else.

Immediately after I put up the first post, I was barraged with calls and messages from friends, colleagues and family who wanted me to assure them of the legality of the investment scheme, and I was quite skeptical at first, but I told them that I verily believed he was genuine as some of my friends were promoting his business as well as investing with him. I however asked them to do their due diligence regardless.

Days after, I stumbled on stories of how promoters of failed financial investment schemes were invited by the police to be questioned about their roles in such schemes. I found those stories bothersome and I thought that I owed it a duty to myself as well as to my followers to leave a general advice

On July 5th, I put out a post (https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10158391424057201&id=502377200) in good conscience, asking people who wanted to invest in any scheme, to do due PERSONAL diligence and take PERSONAL WELL-INFORMED DECISION based on their own PERSONAL INVESTIGATION, before investing in ANY scheme. This was because they were forcing me to indemnify their transactions with Barimike Group. I’m just an ordinary classroom teacher and a single mother. I would never want to get involved in anything that would mortgage my future. Some people called me to ask about investing Millions!

Days later, 10th July, all hell was let loose. Barisuka contacted me and asked me to pull the post down. He said the post was discouraging investors.

When he called me on the phone, I told him that the post was not talking about his business but I needed to put it out so that no one would hold me personally liable for anything that happens in future.

I also told him that while I trusted in the legitimacy of his brand, the days are wicked and I also reserve the right to protect myself from future vicarious liability.

When he insisted I pull the post down, I then offered to refund the money he paid me in full. I called him to ask him for his account number and he objected.

He asked me to continue but not to make such post again. I agreed.

I fulfilled my obligations and looked forward to the end of the month. I finally resolved I wanted nothing else to do with financial investment schemes.

At the end of the month, I reached out to him and told him that I wanted out. He told me that he wanted to continue to work with me and asked me what it would take.

In a bid to discourage him, I asked for 100% increment. Surprisingly, he agreed immediately and was willing to pay more. He even asked me a couple of times, if that was all I wanted. Ironically, it raised a red flag for me.

I asked him for time to think about it. I thought about it and with events that coincidentally unfolded around me the next day, I decided I wanted nothing to do with it. My dear friend and former classmate had just lost her father suddenly. She told me that it was as a result of the shock her father had suffered when he learned that he had lost a huge sum of money to one of these unsecured financial investment schemes (NOT BARIMIKE GROUP). With that news, I became deeply saddened and demoralized.

The very next morning, I sent Barisuka Craig a message asking for termination of my contract. I specifically told him I wanted nothing to do with his or ANY OTHER financial investment scheme.

I made a post the following day.

I didn’t do it to disparage him or his company. I made it especially for those who were looking forward to invest ONLY BECAUSE THEY FELT THAT I ENDORSED IT.

I did not mention his name anywhere or talk bad about him or his company.

I started getting calls from everywhere and even he also called. Unfortunately, I was busy with biometrics at work, and couldn’t take his calls.

The next thing, he sent me a message accusing me of tarnishing his brand’s image and asking me to pull down the post.

I later made a personal decision to hide the post (now made public: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10158447786862201&id=502377200) after being talked to by his emissaries.

Before I knew what was happening, he sent me a letter prepared by his lawyer(s).

It was an act of intimidation and persecution.

I’m just an ordinary teacher with well wishers who refused that I would be intimidated.

They took all my correspondence with him and replied his letter.

This is what I’ve been facing for days.

I’m putting this out because my reputation is being maligned both privately and publicly, and I will not ignore it. It’s one thing to attack me as a brand, it’s another thing entirely to attack me as a person.

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