El Geneina, September 17 (Darfur24)
Chadian authorities have handed over the director of a trading company accused of defrauding Sudanese and Chadian traders of more than 20 trillion Sudanese pounds, after he was arrested in Nigeria while attempting to flee.
The suspect, head of Al-Nadheer General Company, disappeared from El Geneina in July following accusations of large-scale speculation and borrowing from currency traders in West Darfur. Two of his assistants were arrested at the time, while merchants, including Chadians, filed formal complaints demanding the return of their money.
Despite being new, Al-Nadheer General Company quickly gained influence in El Geneina, carrying out humanitarian and cultural activities that enjoyed the endorsement of senior state officials. The visibility helped the company earn the trust of traders and financial actors in the region.
Sources told Darfur24 that Nigerian security services arrested the company director as he prepared to leave the country after a Sudanese businessman in Nigeria identified and reported him. He was then handed over to Chadian authorities and later transferred to West Darfur authorities to face investigation.
Several Chadian merchants who lost money in the scheme have since traveled to El Geneina to press their claims, while the city remains gripped by debate over the company’s activities and the influential figures who may have backed its operations.