From the comments and emails, many are still confused what the real deal is with regards to the “fraud” accusation against Jumia. As I have noted, Jumia is not a fraud – the short-seller is doing what they do well which is largely legal in America. However, Jumia might have made the BIGGEST typo that could cost it $3.9 billion as recorded on its first day of trading.

Yes, the discrepancy on the 2017 Active Customers and 2017 Active Merchants to (confidential) private investors and what it had on the SEC F-1 form is the smoking gun. For the customers, Jumia allegedly inflated the number by 600,000 people. In the merchant, extra 10,000 merchants were allegedly added. Because these presentations were prepared in Oct 2018 (private investors) and April 2019 (public investment in NYSE) on Dec 31, 2017 numbers, the mistake will be hard to explain out. You did not catch the error in Oct 2018 but you picked it in April 2019?

From the report

Then, if Jumia claims typo, SEC will ask it to copy its email server and handover for investigation. They will dissect the server to see if there were plans to manipulate the numbers. That one can take many people to jail if they find out.

Smoking gun is never good – it typically leads to bad things. If Jumia cannot address the discrepancy, it has lost even before it begins. Simply, they will not believe anything about this company, ever.

The problem now is that Jumia has suddenly become a Nigerian company, not a German company as was postulated on the IPO day. Germany celebrates wins, Nigeria picks the scandals. Very unfortunate!

I have explained the biggest issue in the Germany’s Jumia “fraud” accusation. Despite what they are writing, making Jumia now a Nigerian company, the people who produced that report are Germans, in Germany. Germany cannot win IPO and Nigeria now to pick the scandals: it will not happen. Germany, take your company – the IPO and the “fraud”. (LinkedIn summary)

It is getting to 24 hours since the bombshell accusation that Jumia is a “fraud”. Yet, as I write, Jumia is yet to put out a statement. People, this is America where making money is also entertainment. You cannot have equities in the market and not have your investors’ relations unit ready to go to war.

Jumia has been brutally “attacked”, it needs to return with thorough explanations. If it delays more hours, U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) can take severe actions on it. I do hope it is already talking with SEC as the lawyers are gathering: “”We’re focused on investors’ losses, whether the matters raised by Citron are correct, and whether investors may have been misled,” said Hagens Berman partner Reed Kathrein.” Yes, the adverts are out and soon, it will be class action! American trial lawyers cannot see a better target!

Jumia has lost 25% of its value so far today. Broadly, it has lost more than $2 billion since the IPO closing number: from total market cap of $3.9 billion to $1.59 billion now. Yet, it began from $0 and rose to $3.9 billion. Nothing has happened – we must wait to understand its trajectory after the next two quarterly earnings.

Citron Research Calls Jumia a “Fraud”, Stock Drops [Download the Report]

SAN FRANCISCO, May 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, with nine offices in eight cities around the country and 80 attorneys, alerts investors in Jumia Technologies AG (NYSE: JMIA) to the firm’s investigation into possible disclosure violations.

If you purchased or otherwise acquired Jumia securities before May 9, 2019, suffered losses, and wish to learn more about the investigation or have knowledge of facts that may assist the firm’s investigation contact Hagens Berman:

[…]

On May 9, 2019, Citron Research published a report questioning data contained in Jumia’s April 2019 IPO materials versus data contained in an October 2018 confidential presentation.  The report accuses Jumia of (1) overstating certain financial metrics in the prospectus, and (2) omitting adverse information about the number of returned, undelivered, or canceled orders from the prospectus.  In response, the price of Jumia ADSs significantly fell on May 9, 2019.

“We’re focused on investors’ losses, whether the matters raised by Citron are correct, and whether investors may have been misled,” said Hagens Berman partner Reed Kathrein.

Whistleblowers:  Persons with non-public information regarding Jumia should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program.  Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC.  For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 510-…] or email […]

Access Bank Plc is now Nigeria’s biggest lender, post-Diamond Bank acquisition. It has overtaken FBN Holdings Plc and Zenith Bank Plc as its assets accelerated 31% to $18 billion. But if you want profitability, GTBank (Nigeria’s finest bank on efficient utilization of the factors of production with industry-leading cost-to-income ratio that will put Wall Street to envy) wins.  Zenith Bank is also huge on making money.