I run a football consultancy based in the USA and operate in Europe since I am Greek. We run a legitimate program called “Work & Play”. It helps non-European players come to Greece, play football in amateur leagues, and get legal jobs to support themselves.

We have a good track record. We’ve helped many players. So when someone reaches out with players to send, I listen.

In October 2024, I received a message from a man in Nigeria named Abiodun Badejo Samuel (he also goes by “Saliu” or “Aliu”).

He said he was the Director and President of SAB Football Academy.

He said he had four players ready to pay for the program. He wanted a commission of $3,000 per player. He sent me documents: a registration certificate from the Corporate Affairs Commission, letters from football authorities, a website address, and physical addresses.

It all looked official.

I was wrong.

The Red Flags Started Early

When I asked for payment details, Badejo first told me to send the invoice to SAB Football Academy.

Then, when I insisted the invoice must match the actual payer, he suddenly introduced a new company called “Playup Technology”.

I searched for this company online and through Nigerian business records. It does not exist.

• No website. No online presence. No social media. No directory listing.
• No CAC registration. The Corporate Affairs Commission has no record of any company called “Playup Technology”.
• Free Gmail address. [email protected] – legitimate businesses use their own domains, not free email services.
• Same address as SAB Football Academy. The address he gave was 46 Akesan Road, Iperu Remo, Ogun State – the exact same address. The same address where a player later found only a mosque.

Playup Technology was invented by Badejo to create the illusion of a third-party payer.

Seven Promises. Zero Dollars.

Between June and August 2025, Badejo promised payment at least seven times. I kept a record of every promise:

• 25 June – “I will be sending in two players… along their $15,000 payment each”
• 12 July – “Will make available at the earliest means”
• 17 July – “You will have the $35,000… Guaranteed”
• 1 August – “$17,500 x 3 players by August ending”
• 16 August – “Latest by 31 August”
• 27 August – “You will receive the sum as specified”
• 31 August – “Today has agreed”

The final result: $0.00 received.

Not one dollar ever reached my account.

The “Personal Assistant” Scheme

In August 2025, Badejo sent me a passport photograph of a woman. He said she was his “Personal Assistant” and would travel with him to Greece.

Then he sent a follow-up message that made my blood run cold:

“She is staying back in Greece for any available employment/job. Not returning to Nigeria with me.”

I shut that down immediately:

“We don’t traffic people. You are speaking to the wrong person.”

I don’t know who that woman was or if she knew what he was trying to do. But I wanted nothing to do with it.

The Checks: The Most Serious Part

In October 2025, I received a physical envelope from Nigeria. Inside were two players’ birth certificates and passport copies, along with three bank checks.

Three checks. Total amount: $52,500.

Here is exactly what happened next, because this is where the story gets serious.

I only have a bank account with Mercury Bank. I do not have accounts with Bank of America, TD Bank, or Woodforest. I have never had accounts with these banks.

So I didn’t try to deposit these checks. I didn’t try to cash them. Instead, I contacted each issuing bank directly and asked them one simple question:

“Are these checks real?”

TD Bank responded. They opened a fraud investigation and directed me to their fraud prevention team.

Bank of America and Woodforest did not respond. I am not their customer, so they had no obligation to answer me.

But Mercury Bank, my bank, responded differently. When I sent them the three checks for verification, they did not accept them. Instead:

• Mercury Bank closed my business account permanently.
• They held my legitimate funds for 60 days.

Stripe, my payment processor, also flagged my account for identity re-verification.

I filed complaints with:

• Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
• Better Business Bureau (BBB)
• The compliance teams of all three banks

Let Me Break Down Each Check

Check 1

Bank of America check, payable to my company Idsoccer, Inc. for $17,500. The sender was someone I had never heard of. Bank of America did not respond to my inquiry, but Mercury Bank rejected it as suspicious.

Check 2

Woodforest check, also payable to Idsoccer, Inc. for $17,500. Another unknown sender. The issuing bank did not respond.

Check 3

This was the most shocking of all. A TD Bank check, issued in the name of my company (Idsoccer, Inc.), ordering me to pay $17,500 to a person named Steven Brunelle.

I have never met Steven Brunelle. I have never heard that name. I never authorized a check to him. I never discussed check payments with Badejo at any point. My procedures clearly require bank wire transfers only.

TD Bank opened a fraud investigation after I contacted them.

So here is the picture: Badejo sent me fraudulent checks where I was supposed to receive $35,000 from strangers, and at the same time, I was supposed to pay $17,500 to a complete stranger. My bank account was closed because I attempted to verify these checks.

I never authorized check payments. I never discussed checks. And yet, my business was damaged because someone sent me fraudulent checks using my company’s name.

What Badejo Told Me vs What I Later Learned

In September 2025, Badejo told me something revealing:

“those players don’t have money to finance themselves.”

He said sponsors and investors would pay everything.

Months later, a young Nigerian footballer contacted me directly. He had been dealing with Badejo. His story:

• He paid Badejo over €4,000 (about 4 million Naira)
• He had been waiting for almost a year
• Badejo had promised him a move to Greece
• Badejo presented him with a contract
• Badejo still has his passport

He told me he visited the registered address of SAB Football Academy at 46 Akesan Road, Iperu Remo.

He found a mosque. Not a football academy.

He said something that I will never forget:

“I’m not worried about the money. They wasted years of my life.”

Since then, other players and families have contacted me (by phone). They tell similar stories. Promises of visas. Money paid. Nothing delivered.

The Academy Existed on Paper

I want to be fair. SAB Football Academy was a real registered business in Nigeria. Registration number BN-4052402 exists. The address exists.

I have a copy of the registration certificate. It was registered on 24 February 2021.

But here is what the documents do not show:

• They do not show that Abiodun Badejo owned or controlled the academy.
• The registered officer on file with the Corporate Affairs Commission is Olatinwo Opeyemi, not Badejo.
• The academy is currently listed as inactive.

So while the name “SAB Football Academy” was once registered, the person using that name to collect money and promise European contracts did not appear to have authority to do so.

The entity he invented – Playup Technology – does not exist at all.

A Pattern Emerges

1. Badejo uses the name of a registered but inactive academy to appear legitimate.
2. He invents a fake payment entity (Playup Technology) to confuse the payment trail.
3. He promises payments that never come.
4. He collects money from players.
5. He sends fraudulent bank checks.
6. He attempts to bring people to Greece under false pretenses.
7. Players are left without refunds, without passports, and without careers.

What I Am Doing

• I have hired a Nigerian law firm in Abuja to handle this matter. They are preparing to file legal action.
• I have completed my investigation with the banks in the United States.
• My Greek lawyer has advised me that legal action must be taken in Nigeria, not Greece.
• I am retaining all documentary evidence and cooperating with any affected players who come forward.

What I Recommend to Affected Players and Families

1. Secure Your Evidence
   Screenshot every WhatsApp conversation. Photograph or scan every payment receipt. Write down dates, amounts, and methods of payment. Get witness statements if you paid in cash.
2. File a Police Report
   Go to your local police station. File a complaint under Section 419 (obtaining money by false pretenses). Get a certified copy with a case number.
3. Contact the EFCC
   The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission handles this type of fraud.
   • Lagos Office: 15A Awolowo Road, Ikoyi
   • Abuja Office: No. 5, Fomella Street, Wuse II
4. Contact the NFF
   Report unlicensed agents to the Nigerian Football Federation.
5. Coordinate with Other Victims
   The more victims who file reports, the stronger the criminal case.

Who Exactly Is This Person?

Here are the details he used with me:

• Full Name: Abiodun Badejo Samuel (also known as “Saliu” or “Aliu”)
• Emails: [email protected], [email protected]
• Phone Numbers: +2348076492479, +2348032627665
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-badejo-3104b982/

If you or someone you know has dealt with these details, please be careful.

Why I Am Writing This

I have over 25,000 followers on LinkedIn, thousands of contacts on WhatsApp, and a newsletter reaching many people in football.

I am writing this to protect players.

Young footballers dream of playing in Europe. They work hard. Their families sacrifice. People like Badejo prey on that hope.

I am not a judge. I am not a jury. I am presenting the facts as they happened to me and as they have been reported to me.

If I am wrong about any of this, I welcome a legal response with evidence.

But the facts are these:

• Playup Technology does not exist.
• SAB Football Academy is inactive.
• Badejo is not the registered officer.
• The checks were fraudulent.
• Money was collected from players.
• No one came to Greece.

That is what I know.

How to Reach Me

If you are a player or family member affected by this, my email is open:

[email protected]

I will keep your name confidential if you request it.

Kanakis Grigorios
Founder, Idsoccer Football Consultancy
Rhodes Island, Greece
10 August 2026

Disclaimer: This article is based on documentary evidence in my possession: WhatsApp conversations, emails, bank correspondence, and physical documents received from Abiodun Badejo. All facts stated can be supported by this evidence. I am presenting what I know so that others can make informed decisions.