The Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of PAROFUND Multipurpose Cooperative, Mr. Daniel Odoviano Oniko, has dismissed reports circulating online that he is dead, describing them as false and misleading.
The denial follows an online publication titled “Parofund Founder and Ex-Heritage Bank Executive Daniel Oniko Dies in Late 2025,” which alleged that the financial expert, who also heads APICES Finance Company Limited, had passed away.
Reacting to the report, PAROFUND, in a statement issued on Thursday, said its founder is alive, healthy, and actively driving the expansion of his business interests within and outside Nigeria.
The statement, signed by the Director of Corporate Communications, Mr. Isreal Edobor, described the publication as a clear case of misinformation and a failure of basic journalistic verification.
According to Edobor, the death referenced in the report was that of Mr. Daniel Okeoghene Oniko, a cousin of the PAROFUND CEO, who died on December 13, 2025, at the age of 57 after a brief illness.
“The report claiming that the founder of PAROFUND Multipurpose Cooperative Limited and APICES Finance Company Limited, Mr. Daniel Odoviano Oniko, is dead is a malicious falsehood intended to mislead the public,” the statement said.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the late Mr. Daniel Okeoghene Oniko was a cousin to our CEO and is not the same person as Mr. Daniel Odoviano Oniko. The two are cousins from the Oniko Dynasty family of Irri Kingdom in Isoko, Delta State,” it added.
The company urged its clients, stakeholders in the financial sector, and the general public to disregard the rumour, stressing that its founder remains in good health and fully engaged in business activities.
PAROFUND is regarded as one of the fastest-growing cooperative movements in Nigeria and recently introduced a Contributory and Micro-Credit Scheme designed to empower individuals, families, and small businesses nationwide.
Launched on January 1, 2024, the initiative aims to reshape how Nigerians save, access credit, and build financial independence while strengthening the cooperative spirit.
