Citizens Without Borders, a Civil Society Organsiation, has called for the investigation of an alleged illegal NGO operating under the name of Citizens Action To Take Back Nigeria (CATBAN).

The group made the call in a statement issued on Saturday in Kaduna jointly signed by its Chairman, Richard Augustine, and Secretary, Comrade Olusegun Abayomi.

The statement said: “It has come to our notice that an Abuja-based activist, Ibrahim Garba Wala, uses an illegal Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) Citizens Action To Take Back Nigeria (CATBAN) to harass and intimidate MDAs and often prominent individuals occupying public offices with a view to extort financial gains as against the noble objectives that guides the activity of Civil Society worldwide.

“Reports have it that CATBAN is not registered as an NGO contrary to provision of law that states that civil society organisation must registered with the Cooperate Affairs Commission (CAC) before it can undertake operation. CATBAN is allegedly sending out personal account numbers to solicit for funds from the publics under the guise of ‘using the funds to sponsor a protest’. Nigerian law requires NGOs to register with the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, as Incorporated Trustees.

“CATBAN has also in the last one year of its existence been holding press conferences and organising events geared towards making frivolous allegations.”