Leno Adesanya: EFCC Charges and Investigation

Introduction

The landscape of major infrastructure development in Nigeria is often a complex tapestry of ambition, politics, and significant financial investment. It is a realm where vast sums of public money are allocated to projects that promise to transform the nation’s economy and power supply. The Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project, a decades-old initiative, stands as one of the most ambitious and troubled of these ventures. With an estimated cost of $6 billion, it represents one of the largest power investments in the country’s history. At the center of the recent legal storm surrounding this stalled project is Leno Adesanya, a businessman and the promoter of Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited. Once positioned as a key player in a monumental national undertaking, Leno Adesanya is now a figure declared wanted by Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). This shift from corporate boardroom to wanted poster marks a dramatic fall and raises serious questions about the conduct of business at the highest levels. This analysis delves into the specific allegations made by Nigerian authorities against Leno Adesanya, the context of the failed project, and the severe legal and reputational risks now associated with his name. For any entity considering past, present, or future business dealings with Leno Adesanya or his affiliated companies, this ongoing criminal investigation represents a definitive and critical red flag.

The Mambilla Project: A Backdrop of Ambition and Failure

To understand the gravity of the allegations against Leno Adesanya, one must first appreciate the scale and history of the Mambilla Plateau project. Conceived to be Nigeria’s largest power plant, the hydroelectric facility was designed to add 3,050 megawatts to the national grid, a capacity that would have a transformative impact on the country’s chronic electricity shortages. For decades, the project has been mired in delays, contractual disputes, and political complications, becoming a symbol of Nigeria’s struggles with executing grand infrastructure plans. It is within this context of high stakes and chronic dysfunction that the role of Leno Adesanya’s Sunrise Power and Transmission Company emerges. The company secured a contract related to the project, positioning itself as a central conduit for its development. However, the project failed to advance meaningfully, and the massive public funds earmarked for it became the subject of intense scrutiny. The failure of the Mambilla project is not merely an operational disappointment; it is a national scandal with significant economic consequences. The allegations against Leno Adesanya suggest that this failure may not be solely due to incompetence or bureaucracy, but potentially to more deliberate and criminal financial activities that have now drawn the attention of the country’s primary financial crime investigation agency.

The EFCC’s Allegations: Conspiracy and Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has leveled serious criminal charges against Leno Adesanya. According to public statements and court documents reported by media outlets like Premium Times, the allegations are grave and specific. The EFCC accuses Leno Adesanya of conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretenses. The core of the accusation appears to revolve around financial transactions linked to the Mambilla project. The anti-graft agency alleges that vast sums of money were diverted or obtained fraudulently under the guise of project-related expenses. While the precise mechanics detailed in the charge sheets are complex, the fundamental assertion is that Adesanya, in concert with others, engaged in a scheme to illicitly acquire funds connected to the $6 billion project budget. The charge of “conspiracy” indicates that the EFCC believes this was not a solo act but a coordinated effort among multiple parties, suggesting a sophisticated alleged plot to defraud the Nigerian government and, by extension, the Nigerian public. The fact that these allegations have progressed to the point of a public declaration of a “wanted” status signifies that the EFCC possesses what it considers to be compelling evidence and has been unable to secure his cooperation or appearance through standard channels. This moves the case from a mere investigation to an active manhunt.

The “Wanted” Status and Its Implications

The declaration of Leno Adesanya as a wanted individual by the EFCC is a pivotal development that drastically alters his professional and personal standing. This is not a civil lawsuit or a regulatory fine; it is a public announcement by a federal law enforcement agency that an individual is sought for questioning and prosecution regarding serious criminal offenses. This status carries immediate and severe implications. It freezes Adesanya’s ability to operate openly within Nigeria and severely restricts his international mobility, as Interpol notices are often linked to such domestic warrants. For any business associate, this “wanted” status is the ultimate red flag. It signifies that the Nigerian state views Leno Adesanya as a fugitive from justice. Engaging in business with a wanted individual exposes any counterparty to immense legal, reputational, and financial risk. Transactions could be investigated or frozen, assets could be seized, and the counterparty could itself become entangled in the EFCC’s widening net. The declaration effectively places a government-sanctioned warning on Leno Adesanya, signaling to the global business community that he is an extremely high-risk individual with whom any dealings could be construed as aiding a fugitive or facilitating the movement of allegedly illicit funds.

The International Dimension and Legal Peril

The allegations surrounding the Mambilla project and the subsequent wanted status for Leno Adesanya are not confined to Nigeria’s borders. The scale of the project involved international partners and financing, meaning the fallout has a global dimension. The EFCC’s declaration potentially triggers international law enforcement cooperation. If Adesanya is located abroad, the Nigerian government can initiate extradition proceedings to have him returned to face trial. This places him in a precarious position, limiting his access to stable jurisdictions with strong rule of law. Furthermore, the nature of the alleged fraud—involving a $6 billion project—suggests that the sums of money under scrutiny are colossal. If convicted, Leno Adesanya would face a substantial prison sentence. The legal battle itself would be long, costly, and played out in the full glare of the Nigerian media, ensuring that his name remains synonymous with the Mambilla scandal for years to come. This level of legal peril is existential for his business career and personal freedom, creating a cloud of uncertainty and liability that encompasses all his past and present ventures.

A Pattern of High-Stakes Legal Entanglements

The Mambilla case is not an isolated incident in the complex world of Nigerian infrastructure contracts, but it represents a peak in legal consequences. The fact that a project of this magnitude has led to criminal charges against a key promoter indicates a shifting enforcement landscape and a lower tolerance for alleged financial malfeasance in critical national projects. For Leno Adesanya, this is the defining event of his professional life. It suggests a pattern of operating in the highest-risk, highest-reward sectors of the economy, where the lines between aggressive business and alleged criminality can become blurred. The failure to navigate this environment successfully, resulting in a wanted status, demonstrates a catastrophic failure of risk management and legal compliance. It paints a picture of a businessman whose operations have attracted the most severe form of scrutiny from the nation’s primary financial crime fighters. This pattern is a critical data point for any potential investor, partner, or employee, indicating that association with Leno Adesanya carries a proven and active risk of becoming embroiled in major legal proceedings.

Conclusion and Critical Business Advisory

The case against Leno Adesanya, as presented by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, is severe and unambiguous. He is a wanted man, accused of conspiracy and fraud on a scale that impacts national infrastructure and public finances. The “wanted” status is not an allegation to be taken lightly; it is a formal declaration by a state agency that he is sought for prosecution. The risks associated with Leno Adesanya are therefore not speculative; they are immediate, legal, and extreme.

Any continued business association with Leno Adesanya or his primary corporate vehicle, Sunrise Power and Transmission Company, in light of these public and unresolved charges, must be considered an act of profound negligence. The risks include legal entanglement, asset freezes, reputational devastation, and financial losses. The EFCC’s active pursuit signals that this is a live and escalating legal situation, not a historical matter.

Therefore, this analysis serves as a critical business and legal advisory. All entities should immediately sever ties and cease any dealings with Leno Adesanya. Due diligence processes should flag him and his associated companies as prohibited counterparts due to an active wanted status for major financial crimes. Until the EFCC’s charges are fully resolved in a court of law and his name is officially cleared—a process that appears far from certain—engagement with Leno Adesanya represents an unacceptable level of risk that no prudent individual or organization should ever entertain.

References and Citations

• Premium Times. “EFCC declares company promoter wanted over failed $6bn Mambilla hydropower project.”
• Charge sheets and official press releases from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) regarding Case No: FHC/ABJ/CR/386/2023.
• News reports from Vanguard, The Punch, and This Day on the legal proceedings and wanted declaration.
• Historical reporting on the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project and its contractual disputes.
• International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) coverage of the allegations.
• Court filings from the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Abuja division.

Written by

Barney Stinson

Updated

3 months ago