AFR Business

NAFDAC has officially reopened the Onitsha Head Bridge drug market, known as ‘Ogbo Ogwu,’ after a period of closure for regulatory enforcement. The Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, announced the reopening but emphasized that shop owners must meet strict administrative conditions before resuming operations.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Adeyeye stated that traders are required to complete documentation and clearance procedures before their shops can be unsealed. To streamline the process and ensure compliance with regulatory standards, NAFDAC has set up a dedicated desk within the market.

She further stressed that only traders who fulfill these conditions will be allowed to reopen their shops. Additionally, shop owners have been directed, through their union, to sign an undertaking and face penalties for any past violations of drug distribution regulations.

NAFDAC had previously shut down the market as part of its crackdown on the sale of fake and expired drugs. The agency’s latest move aims to prevent a recurrence of the issues that led to the closure while ensuring stricter compliance with safety and quality regulations.

Blue Noble Bus Management Services Ltd signed a concession agreement with Enugu State Government for the Finance, supply and operation of Enugu INTRA-STATE BUS Service for 15 years.

Under the arrangement we will procure about 300 CNG buses for Urban centre, about 200 shuttle buses for intercity Services and 200 Electric vehicles for taxi.We are deploying a smart service no cash business operations that will operate a 24hr bus service in Enugu.The State made a contribution of N1.819b for the procurement of the first 100 CNG buses.The State made a contribution of N1.819b for the procurement of the first 100 CNG buses.The first 30 buses will arrive Nigeria in March, before the end of the year the remaining 300 buses will arrive.Blue Noble Bus Management Services Ltd is the only concessionaire.

A Lagos Magistrate Court sitting at Tinubu Square, Thursday, remanded the Managing Director of Capital Oil and Gas Limited, Mr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, 42, and seven other management staff of his company in police custody for 14 days over their alleged involvement in the fuel subsidy scam.

The seven other persons include Nsikan Usoro, 35 (Head of Trading), Chibuzor Ogbuokiri, 48 (General Manager, Operations); Godfrey Okorie, 41 (Depot Manager) and Orji Joseph Anayo, 46 (Executive Director, Operations).

Also remanded at the Special Fraud Unit over fuel subsidy scam was the Managing Director/Chief Executive of Matrix Energy Ltd, Abdulkabir Aliu alongside the firm’s Operations Manager, Yusuf Oyolola and its accountant, Adewale Akinde.

Aliu and members of his staff are to be remanded for 15 days at the Special Fraud Unit for the purpose of completing their investigation. Matrix Energy Limited was alleged to be involved in N13.376 billion fraud.

Magistrate Martins Owumi’s decision was sequel to the application for remand filed by the Commissioner of Police pursuant to Section 264 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2011.

Police said they were suspected to have committed the offences of economic sabotage, obtaining money by false pretences, money laundering and forgery as well as stealing of N43.291 billion property of Federal Republic of Nigeria.

According to the 11 grounds for the remand request endorsed by Effiong Asuquo, a Superintendent of Police, the suspects obtained the money by falsely pretending that the company had imported and sold 538,74 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit during the 2011 fiscal year through 26 transactions.

The police also said that the fraud was discovered by the Presidential Committee on the verification and reconciliation of fuel subsidy payments, adding: “That the nature of the criminal act and the huge amount involved in the fraud constitute the crime of economic sabotage and capable of undermining the security of Nigeria.”

The police said that evidence and exhibits were being gathered as investigations continued and that the suspects going by their enormous wealth would influence or prevent the gathering of evidence if released from custody at this stage of investigation.

The police further stated that there was high risk of the suspects escaping from the country if not remanded and urged the court to grant them one month within which to conclude investigation.

The police request was supported with a 13-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Francis A. Idu, a Chief Superintendent of Police.
However, despite the passionate and concerted effort of the defendants’ counsel, Bode Olanipekun, who pleaded with the court to admit his clients on bail orally, the court refused to accede to the one month request. Both cases were adjourned till October 31.

*In 1924, two brothers built a shoe empire together.*

By 1948, they were bitter enemies—so bitter they split the company in half.

*One became Adidas. The other Puma.*

Their feud divided a town, shaped sports history, and created two global giants.

Here’s the full story:

In 1924, Adi Dassler and his older brother Rudolf Dassler founded the Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory.

Adi’s technical skills and Rudolf’s salesmanship made the company a huge success.

By the 1930s, their shoes were used by top athletes across Germany.

Their biggest break came at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin when Jesse Owens wore Dassler shoes and won 4 gold medals.

Owens’ victory put the Dassler brand on the map, and demand for their shoes skyrocketed.

During World War II, tensions between the brothers grew.

Adi focused on keeping the factory running despite the war.

Rudolf, who was drafted into the German army, believed Adi had deliberately withheld information that led to his conscription.

In 1943, as the Allies bombed Germany, the Dassler family took shelter together.

According to legend, Adi muttered, “The dirty bastards are back again,” referring to the bombers.

Rudolf thought the comment was directed at him and his family.

After the war ended, the brothers’ relationship completely broke down.

In 1948, they officially dissolved their company and split everything in half:

Adi Dassler started his own company, naming it Adidas (a combination of his first and last name: “Adi Dassler”).

Rudolf Dassler started a rival company across the river, originally naming it Ruda (from “Rudolf Dassler”), which was later rebranded as Puma.

The two brothers became bitter rivals, and so did their companies.

The feud split the town of Herzogenaurach in two.

Adidas employees and supporters lived on one side.

Puma loyalists lived on the other.

Even marriages between Adidas and Puma employees were considered taboo.

Local businesses would even check your shoes before serving you.

Once the companies were established, the rivalry escalated into an all-out war for the sports world.

In the 1954 FIFA World Cup, the German national team wore Adidas boots and won the championship in an upset victory, making the "three stripes" world-famous.

In response, Puma aggressively pursued athletes and signed stars like Pelé—the most famous soccer player in the world.

One famous incident from the 1970 World Cup is known as the “Pelé Pact.”

Adidas and Puma had agreed not to bid for Pelé to avoid a bidding war.

But during a match, Pelé famously bent down to tie his Puma shoes on camera—earning Puma millions in free publicity.

Despite their bitter rivalry, both Adidas and Puma became giants in the global sportswear market.

Although Adi and Rudolf never reconciled during their lifetimes, their descendants made efforts to mend the rift.

In 2009, employees from both companies played a symbolic soccer match together—marking the end of a feud that lasted over 60 years.

October 12, 2014

Customs officers may have withheld N50 million from the federal treasury, being duty on brand new Rolls Royce imported through Apapa Port and Cadillac Escalade through Tin Can Island Port (TCIP), both in Lagos.

The two vehicles were allegedly cleared as “used cars” by Customs licensed agents in connivance with Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) officers, who also allegedly concealed other items in the containers carrying the vehicles.

The deal was burst when the Special Fraud Unit (SFU) of the police was alerted to arrest the clearing agent and stop the movement of the Cadillac (2014 edition) and BMW SUV (2008).

This was based on suspicion that the required 70 per cent duty on the cars was not paid, while the Cadillac was cleared as used car.

Police officers moved to Lansal Shipping Company, which brought the vehicles, and ordered it not to release them. The clearing agent was arrested and granted bail.

But how the container was taken out of the port a few days later remains a puzzle.

Clearing agent, releasing officers

The fraud was allegedly committed between a clearing agent, Superbuilt Nigeria Limited (with office at 45 Adigu Street, Surulere, Lagos), Francis Alana and I. S. Onota, both Customs valuation and releasing officers, at TCIP and Tin Can Island Container Terminal (TICT).

In April, Customs Comptroller General, Abdullahi Dikko, had visited the office of the releasing officer at Tin Can, then occupied by Jane Shoboike, and allegedly discovered tens of millions of naira in cash stashed in the office.

Dikko reportedly demoted her to Chief Superintendent as punishment, but three weeks later, she was secretly restored to her rank and redeployed to Ikeja Training School.

Alana has since been redeployed to Abuja, allegedly to avoid being quizzed by the police.

Freight manifest

Documents seen by this paper, include freight manifest, shipping documents, clearing documents, and release documents.

They point to alleged fraud, connivance to defraud, and manipulation by clearing agents and Customs officers at TCIP.

Two fake addresses of the consignee – Sleek Nigeria Limited, Ajao Estate, Isolo, Lagos – led to a tip off to the SFU which stopped the truck conveying the container from leaving TCIP.

The documents showed that
• Consignment originated from Oakland, in North America and berthed at TCIP on September 11, 2014 aboard Dubai Star 797/e.
• The two SUVs were brought in a 40-foot container number ZCSU 8225019 and a bill of lading number Zimulax 097910.
• The consignee (owner of the vehicle) is Michael Emeka Uwaka, whose two addresses are simply Lekki Lagos and Lekki Penninsula, Abuja.
• The two SUVs are brand new vehicles because the shipping manifest did not have “used” attached to show that they had been used in the country of origin.
• The 2014 Cadillac has chasis number 132853 and BMW (001206). The BMW was allegedly used to conceal the Cadillac.

Questionable duty valuation

However, in a letter dated September 18, 2014 addressed to “the officer in charge of valuation, Nigeria Customs Service, TCIP,” the clearing agent claimed the two cars were “used”.
Alana minuted on the letter to the area project manager (APM) on September 18, 2014 that the owner of the vehicles, Cadillac and BMW, were to pay 35 per cent of their cost as duty.

He valued the Cadillac at $55,310 and the BMW at $8,300.

Security agents who suspected fraud alerted the SFU which ordered that the vehicles must not be released.

Investigation showed that the two cars were properly valued at over $200,000 as against $58,610 estimated by the Customs, which resulted in the payment of N4,461,307 on them as duty.

Hasty clearance arouses suspicion

On September 19, 2014, when duty was paid at Ecobank, the vehicles were released before the police were invited. A source said the haste with which the vehicles were released attracted suspicion.

At Apapa Port, one Cletus Uzozie Oragwa imported a 2014 “Rolls Royce Wraith” model through container number MR KU 705465/6 on September 5, 2014. The import duty was supposed to be 100 per cent.

On September 30, 2014, another container, ZCSU 702222/8, loaded with furniture, arrived Apapa on MV Pisti with voyage number 798T. It was allegedly transferred to Port Express Bonded Terminal where the owners can clear them without a thorough examination.

Customs licence for rent

Apapa Customs Area Controller (CAC), Charles Edike, authorised in a letter on Wednesday, October 8, 2014 the transfer of the container to the terminal.

Edike declined to comment when TheNiche contacted him through a text message.

NCS Public Relations Officer (TCIP), Chris Osunkwo, said he could not comment officially on the matter but expressed surprise that import duty evasion racket still goes on.

One Maxwell Ogwuamanam, who said he is the manager of the agency, said he had no idea of the matter.

But he added that “some people without licence come to take our licence (for a fee) to do their jobs.”

Jostle for Dikko’s job

In another development, Customs officers are jostling to succeed Dikko, if President Goodluck Jonathan makes changes in the NCS because of the coming election.

Dikko has spent over five years in office.

The NCS, which retains about N100 billion yearly as statutory 7 per cent cost duty collection – allegedly donated millions to the Jonathan campaign in 2011.

There is anxiety in the top echelon of the Customs over the perception that Jonathan may retain the current management led by Dikko till after the election.

Since 1999, no CG has led the Customs for more than four years. The quantum of money at the disposal of the CG makes the office a coveted one.

Sources said pressure is being mounted on Jonathan to change Dikko, who has allegedly vowed that none of the current assistant comptrollers general (ACGs) and deputy comptrollers general (DCGs) will take over from him.

There are six DCGs, representing the country’s six zones.