Dozy Mmobuosi: Tingo Group’s dubious background unveiled amidst sponsorship of NPFL Super Cup

The potential purchaser of Sheffield United and sponsor of the renowned Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) Super Cup competition, Dozy Mmobuosi, has had his business accused of shady business practices and faked financial statements.

Soccernet.ng understands that recent findings by Hindenburg Research have made some worrying disclosures about the role of Dozy's firm (Tingo Group Inc) in certain faked financials.

According to reports, the New Jersey-based firm operates industries including mobile phones, food processing, and an online food market with a focus on Nigerian farmers.

The validity of these assertions and the background of its Nigerian Chief Executive Officer, however, has come under scrutiny.

One of the most obvious contradictions surrounding Dozy, who has emerged as one of the leading contenders for the purchase of Sheffield United and raised N1 billion as the grand prize for the winner of the NPFL Super Cup, is his supposed involvement in the founding of Nigeria's first mobile payment app. When the app's real author was contacted, it was categorically told that Dozy's assertions were “a pure lie.”

The purchase of the English football club earlier this year would also be considered to have created questions.

His qualifications came under more examination as the institution acknowledged that no one by his name had been located in their verification system, the claim that he had earned a PhD in rural development from a Malaysian university in 2007 was refuted.

His prior run-ins with the law have surfaced, which has increased suspicion towards Dozy. According to the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, he was charged with eight counts of issuing fraudulent checks in 2017.

Beyond his personal background, Dozy is embroiled in controversy. 2019 saw the announcement of the opening of “Tingo Airlines,” which was backed by social media postings encouraging users to “fly with Tingo Airlines today.”

Media outlets eventually learned that Tingo had pasted its logo onto images of aeroplanes, raising questions over whether a legitimate airline ever existed.

These unsettling facts cast considerable doubt on Tingo Group Inc.'s reliability and moral character.

The corporation may have first been seen as a supporter of Nigerian football owing to its choice to sponsor the NPFL Super 6, a prestigious football competition in the country.

The Tingo Group and its CEO's dubious business practices and faked financial statements, however, are now in the public eye, throwing doubt on their participation in the sporting community.