“Dr. Eruani Azibapu Destroyed My Future” — Bayelsa Youth Makes Explosive Allegations in Court Battle
By Passman Akpos
YENAGOA, BAYELSA — A Bayelsa youth, Kariyai Daukoru, has publicly accused prominent businessman and founder of the Azikel Group, Dr. Eruani Azibapu, of allegedly orchestrating what he described as a fraudulent aviation scholarship scheme that derailed his education, business ventures, and future aspirations.
In a lengthy statement titled “Before You Crucify Me: Hear My Side of the Story,” Daukoru recounted how he participated in a highly publicized aviation scholarship programme announced in 2024, which promised to train selected Bayelsa youths as commercial pilots and aircraft engineers in the United States.
According to Daukoru, the programme attracted hundreds of applicants after public assurances that successful candidates would receive fully funded aviation training abroad through partnerships allegedly involving major international aviation institutions and organizations.
Daukoru claimed that after a rigorous selection process involving 776 applicants, only two candidates, himself and another participant identified as Yebei Ebilate, reportedly met the required pass mark.
He alleged that shortly after their success was publicly celebrated, including media announcements that they would soon travel to the United States, the terms of the programme unexpectedly changed.
According to him, instead of proceeding with the promised training, they were instructed to undergo a six-month probationary work period within the Azikel Group before any overseas travel could be considered.
Daukoru further alleged that the probation eventually stretched into more than a year, during which he and his colleague performed a combination of aviation-related duties, administrative tasks and other forms of labour while repeatedly seeking clarification about their promised training opportunities.
He claimed that numerous letters written to management seeking updates allegedly went unanswered and that efforts to obtain information from company officials yielded little progress.
The Bayelsa youth further alleged that investigations he personally conducted revealed that some of the international partnerships publicly associated with the scholarship programme did not exist.
According to him, responses allegedly received from foreign organizations contradicted public claims made during the launch of the initiative.
Daukoru also accused Dr. Eruani and some associates of launching a campaign to discredit him after he filed a lawsuit at the Bayelsa State High Court on February 4, 2026, seeking legal redress over the matter.
He claimed that subsequent legal actions, criminal complaints and his detention in Abuja were designed to pressure him into withdrawing the lawsuit.
Among his most serious allegations are claims of wrongful detention, torture, abuse of law enforcement processes, and attempts to compel him to abandon ongoing court proceedings.
The matter has since evolved into a broader legal dispute involving multiple court cases and counter-allegations.
Daukoru insists that his legal action is not merely about personal grievances but about establishing accountability and protecting young Nigerians from what he described as exploitative scholarship schemes.
As of the time of filing this report, Dr. Eruani Azibapu and the Azikel Group had not publicly responded to the latest allegations contained in Daukoru’s statement. The businessman has previously challenged allegations made against him through legal channels.
The dispute remains before the courts, and all parties are entitled to the presumption of innocence and fair hearing until the matters are conclusively determined by the judiciary.
The case is expected to attract significant public attention in Bayelsa State and beyond, particularly because of its implications for youth empowerment programmes, corporate accountability and the credibility of privately sponsored scholarship initiatives.
