Move to "strike off" a company run by Sheffield United's potential new owner filed with Companies House

The Nigerian businessman, who hopes to purchase the Championship club from present owner Prince Abdullah bin Musa’ad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, was revealed earlier this week as a shareholder in the firm which details its business on the register as “scheduled passenger air transport”.

However, after it emerged there is no evidence of Tingo Airlines (TA) ever obtaining a UK Air Operator’s Certificate - the document, issued by the Civil Aviation Authority, which permits holders to run “commercial or air transport” flights - The Star has seen data which suggests an application has been made to remove its listing with Companies House (CH). If that is approved, all of TA’s remaining assets, including its bank balances and any future payments from institutions such as His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, will pass to the Crown.

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Reports earlier this week also claimed that the address, provided by TA to CH, was lifted four years ago after being said to be “invalid or ineffective and was forged.”

As well as detailing “an active proposal to strike off” TA, CH’s website also states that its latest confirmation statement is now three months overdue.

Mmobuosi, who also operates in the west African state’s agri-fintech sphere, is understood to have agreed a price, possibly around £90m, to purchase United from Prince Abdullah. However, before his bid to acquire control of the team succeeds, Mmobuosi must gain approval from the English Football League who are now thought to be scrutinising his credentials.

In December, Tingo Inc, which is controlled by Mmobuosi, was revealed to be involved in a merger with US based company MICT which the 43-year-old said would fulfil Tingo Mobile’s “long-standing ambitions” of achieving a Nasdaq listing. A statement, published online by MICT, said it had acquired “100 percent” of Tingo Inc’s “Operating Business and Assets (Namely Tingo Mobile Limited).”

“Today’s merger is enabling us to accelerate upon our ambitious global expansion strategy,” Mmobuosi continued, with MICT detailing Tingo Mobile’s total assets as being 1.5bn US dollars.

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Last month, the governing body prohibited United from making any new signings after they were found to be in breach of its financial regulations for failing to keep up with their repayments on previous transfer deals. Unless these debts are restructured or settled, United could be banned from entering the market for another two windows. Despite the turmoil off the pitch at Bramall Lane, manager Paul Heckingbottom has been able to insulate his squad from the issues facing their employer; leading them to second in the Championship table and 10 points clear of third place with 17 matches of the season remaining.

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Although Heckingbottom was pleased when neither Iliman Ndiaye nor Sander Berge were sold in order to ease the pressure on United’s books, he has seen attempts to progress an interest in Chelsea’s Silko Thomas stall because of the situation. Another youngster invited to train at the Randox Health Academy, Rochdale’s Ethan Brierley, could be unveiled by Blackburn Rovers later this week after they exploited United’s inability to process player registrations.

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