For infractions and misrepresentations, forgery, impersonation and fraudulent practices, Rights and Freedom Advocates (RIFA) hereby notify the public of the resolutions on some former members of the Association who henceforth ceased to be members of the group.
Those involved were guilty of dubious extortion of unauthorized levies from members, insubordination, diversion of the association dues and conversion of the Association properties including bike, money to personal use. These are in addition to misrepresentation of the Association at different outings with authorities. Thus, portraying the Association in bad light. The most worrisome of the criminal acts of the expelled and indefinitely suspended former members were their connivance with oppressors to extort timid and recalcitrant people to collect illegal Commercial Motorcycle Riders’ Identification Scheme (COMORIS) stickers and emission control permit in the name of RIFA which the organization declared illegal and barred members from obtaining apart from forgery of the Association sticker, letter-head and other insignia to carry out their subversive and fraudulent activities.
They went ahead and collected the COMORIS stickers at N1000 each but coerced timid and recalcitrant members to buy it at higher amounts even higher in some cases to more than 100 percent of the cost. They also went ahead to forge and produced the Association identity cards, stickers and letter head. Legally, only Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) is empowered to issue rider or driver licence or permit in Nigeria which some RIFA members have obtained while those yet to obtain are in the process of obtaining theirs as against exploitative COMORIS sticker which has no place under any valid law in Nigeria. No wonder, when they were asked to bring ideas, the only thing paramount to them was how to share the organization money as if activism is a commercial venture.
All those expelled or indefinitely suspended henceforth cease to be members of RIFA and are therefore directed to handover, with immediate effect, to the Secretary, Board of Trustees, the association properties in their custody such as identity cards, stickers, computer, etc otherwise they should hold themselves responsible for the consequences. Similarly, those holding meetings with the expelled or suspended former members and are with non-spherical stickers remain impersonators and relevant authorities have been notified for necessary actions on such impersonators.
When the one that was previously made Chairman of Abeokuta South branch of the Association was discovered to have diverted a full-year fees between August 1, 2020 and July 2021 amounting to hundreds of thousand of Naira nearing half a million, several attempts to make him refund the money failed with his diversionary discussions. Thereafter, a memo dated 13th December, 2024 was delivered to him to remit the diverted money to National Account of the Association.
Till date no response nor payment made even as the fraud continued in the name of RIFA. As for the former Chairman of the Abeokuta North, when he could not present any reasonable account, he was delivered a memo dated 8th January, 2025 to submit details of the Association bikes in his custody but till date no response apart from years of unaccounted for levies and fees collected from the members while strange withdrawals from the branch bank account could not be justified with illegally obtained ATM card for an Association account.
For the fact that the National leadership of the Association is well grounded in financial discipline, accountability and separation of powers making it not dabbling into the financial assets of the association except through request for financial report, anyone who thinks he is too big to be held accountable should take that notion elsewhere. RIFA as an association duly registered is one of the few organizations with active and updated records with relevant agencies monitoring the affairs of corporate entities. Therefore, those who would soil the good name of the Association are not fit to be members of a group clamouring for orderliness in our national life.
All relevant agencies have been duly informed to take appropriate actions on the marauders and impersonators. They and their followers should therefore stop holding any meeting in RIFA name or display anything having RIFA name including all non-spherical stickers which the impersonators use. Anyone caught by relevant authorities for impersonation of the Association should blame himself. Similarly, they and their followers should distant themselves from RIFA office or meeting venues otherwise they would be handled appropriately by concerned authorities.
With the unanimous decision of Board members, these people have been expelled from RIFA effective April 27, 2025;
(i) Shuaib Mutiullah aka Abu Toib
(ii) Hussein Bisiriyu aka Hussein
(iii) Tomori Moshood Kolawole aka Abu Hannef/Tomori
(iv) Moshood Musiliudeen
(v) Saheed Taiwo
(vi) Obaleye Taofeek Alao
(vii) Adeleke Wasiu
(viii) Yushau Tiamiyu aka Eberu Olohun
(ix) Saoban Tijani aka Abu Hameedah.
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For indefinite suspension until further notice, those affected are;
i. Funso Sulaimon
ii. Tijani Semiu
iii. Eweniyi Raheem
iv. Salaudeen Lateef
v. Lukmon Sodiq
vi. Fatai Wasiu
vii. Ganiyu Bakare
viii. Edunjobi Samuel
ix. Meshioye Abdul Rasaq
x. Matthew Aminu
xi. AbdulSomad AbdulRasaq
Therefore, anyone dealing with any of the above names or anyone having connection with them in the name of RIFA does so at his or her own risk.
Since association is a group of people with similar goals and the pursuits of the former members did not align with probity, higher ethical standards, transparency and liberation of the oppressed which RIFA stand for, it is now sufficed that those characters go elsewhere to pursue their common unethical and strange goals.
As for the Chairmen and executive team of Abeokuta South, Abeokuta North and Odeda branches of the Association, the list is as released by the Ogun State Mayor of the Association while the State executive is as released by the National leadership while the National Leadership is as released by the Board. And for the hoodlums claiming to maim any RIFA member because the bad eggs were excused from the Association, your details have been submitted to appropriate authorities for action should any member be attacked anywhere. Therefore, be ready to be held responsible for any unfortunate incidence on any RIFA member.
All members of dubious social media platforms created by the suspended or expelled members in the name of RIFA which RIFA BOT members did not belong should hold themselves responsible for consequences of belonging to such dubious platforms. RIFA social media platforms administrators are hereby directed to remove those affected from the group platforms until further directive to the contrary. Those who want to be reconsidered for membership can consult the Association constitution for necessary actions.
Luqman Soliu,
Chairman, Board of Trustees,
Rights and Freedom Advocates