How I Was Defrauded in My Own Business — Jay Jay Okocha shares his life story.

Football legend Jay-Jay Okocha never expected that one of his biggest battles would play out off the pitch. After retiring, he ventured into business with a trusted friend Friday Nwankwo-Kujah, known in football circles as the “Soccer Ambassador.”

They launched a Bureau de Change together, a venture built on mutual trust and camaraderie. But that trust soon turned toxic. Okocha says Kujah someone he treated as a brother began to manipulate the deal.

Despite Okocha and his wife investing significant funds, Kujah allegedly registered the company solely under his name and sidelined other stakeholders. Okocha claims Kujah even forged documents to restructure the business and lock out partners, including his own family.

Faced with mounting debts and legal threats including pressure from the EFCC Okocha had to step away and start his own company from scratch to protect his family’s finances and reputation.
Saying Kujah was “ungrateful” would be an understatement, he later told The Guardian.

He described it as a real betrayal painful, unexpected, and deeply personal. But through that fight, he also learned a hard lesson: never let friendship blind you to the risks of business.

Have you ever been betrayed by someone you trusted with your future? Share your story sometimes, speaking up is how we find closure and strength.

Source: The Guardian – “Okocha opens up on ‘failed’ business venture with ‘Soccer Ambassador’”
The Guardian Nigeria.