By Truth Live News Correspondent, London
The storm rocking the Benin Club Golf Section has taken a dramatic twist as Barrister Emmanuel Usoh, a lawyer and prominent member of the section, has threatened a ₦1 billion libel suit against Truth Live News over an investigative report alleging his involvement in fraudulent practices within the association.
The controversial article, authored by investigative journalist Omoruyi Adolor and initially published on Truth Live News, alleged that top executives of the Golf Section had engaged in financial irregularities. Though the article was briefly withdrawn following a strong denial from Mr. Usoh, it was republished after further investigations and the emergence of new evidence.
Our correspondent in London, who spent several hours on the telephone with multiple sources within the club, has now obtained fresh documents and testimonies that shed more light on the allegations. Some members of the association, who spoke on condition of anonymity, raised damning questions about the financial dealings of Barrister Usoh and the section’s accountant, Mr. Emmanuel Aondoaver.
One member asked:
“How come he told Osarieme Global to write ₦150,000 as workmanship when he had earlier told the members of the section that labour had not been paid for?”
Another member questioned:
“Why did he instruct the accountant to transfer ₦1,500,000 in December 2024, and what exactly was that money for? Why also did he approve that the accountant should take ₦300,000 as his own commission?”
Further, documents obtained by Truth Live News show that as of December 2024, Mr. Usoh allegedly owed the section over ₦300,000, yet issued himself a certificate of non-indebtedness to the electoral sub-committee.
Another revelation concerns funds allegedly collected from a female member of the section. According to one source,
“Barrister Usoh should explain whether he collected £200 from Miss Habiba Oyarekhua, when she has insisted that Benin Club cannot question her over funds that do not belong to the Golf Section.”
Questions have also been raised about receipts presented in relation to the repair of the club’s utility vehicle. The vehicle, which only required one replacement door, was said to have been billed as though two doors were changed.
One striking evidence observed by Truth Live News was a receipt where Mr. Usoh was said to have paid ₦150,000 as workmanship at a motor spare parts shop. A member who provided the original receipt queried the anomaly, asking:
“Do you pay for workmanship when all you are doing is buying spare parts?”
Additionally, in a recorded voice note obtained by Truth Live News, accountant Mr. Emmanuel Aondoaver is alleged to have manipulated receipts. The recording suggests that while genuine receipts were concealed, fake receipts with inflated figures were presented to members.
Our correspondent has reviewed several receipts allegedly linked to the transactions, many of which indicate items that were never purchased.
Truth Live News maintains that fighting corruption is a core value of this platform. As more documents and evidence become available, they will be released to the public. Should Barrister Usoh successfully prove that the receipts and records are falsified or unrelated to him, our newsroom is prepared to issue a public apology.
For now, however, the questions remain unanswered, the documents raise troubling concerns, and the police have reportedly begun wading into the matter.
This is only the beginning of what promises to be a far-reaching investigation into the alleged financial malfeasance at the Benin Club Golf Section.