Peach & Prime: GICN Cautions Against Smear Campaigns, Exonerates Benue ADC Aspirant Adejoh of Embezzlement Allegations

 

From Dooshima Terkura, Makurdi

As momentum gradually gathers ahead of the 2027 general elections, a civil society organisation, the Global Integrity Crusade Network (GICN), has warned social media influencers and content creators against what it termed smear campaigns directed at Dr.

Peter Adejoh, a governorship aspirant in Benue State.
The group, which describes itself as a pro-democracy and anti-corruption network of legal practitioners, issued the caution in a statement signed by its President, Edward Omaga, and made available to newsmen in Makurdi over the weekend.
GICN also refuted allegations linking Dr. Adejoh to the purported diversion of investors’ funds in the now-defunct Peach & Prime foreign exchange trading platform. The organisation maintained that neither Adejoh nor members of his management team have any established case of fraud against them, stressing that claims of embezzlement lack foundation.
According to the statement, preliminary findings by the group suggest that the resurgence of social media narratives concerning Peach & Prime is politically driven. It explained that no Nigerian court has indicted Dr. Adejoh over the collapse of the portfolio management firm, attributing the failure to the global economic downturn of 2009.
The group further observed that there has been no formal fraud complaint lodged by investors.
Describing Adejoh as a businessman and politician with integrity, GICN stated that while some operators in similar situations allegedly left the country, he remained in Nigeria and commenced processes to refund genuine and verifiable investors affected by the company’s shutdown.
The statement added that the 2009 global financial crisis adversely affected numerous legitimate businesses and investment ventures worldwide. It noted that Peach & Prime, in an effort to demonstrate accountability, published public notices across various media platforms inviting former investors to submit claims and relevant documentation for verification and consideration, despite the company having ceased operations more than 16 years ago.
GICN disclosed that it was reliably informed that investors who complied with the verification process are receiving refunds, and that the repayment window is still open. This, the group said, demonstrates a commitment to addressing legitimate concerns in good faith rather than under compulsion.
“There is no basis for branding the company or its proprietor as fraudulent without proper fact-finding and engagement,” the statement emphasized.
The organisation therefore cautioned against attempts by political rivals to allegedly sway public opinion by discrediting the governorship aspirant, insisting that available records depict Adejoh as an entrepreneur, employer of labour, and philanthropist with notable contributions to society.
GICN also highlighted his reported involvement in scholarship programmes, business empowerment initiatives, and humanitarian assistance to individuals and communities across Nigeria.
Reiterating its stance, the group stressed that Dr. Peter Adejoh has neither been prosecuted nor convicted by any court of law for fraud in connection with the operations of the defunct Peach & Prime Limited.
The network consequently denounced what it described as efforts by “enemies of progress” and certain social media actors to resurrect issues surrounding the failed business venture for political advantage. It urged those concerned to desist, maintaining that Adejoh’s governorship ambition remains intact and should be evaluated through fair and issue-based political engagement.