Business

NAGAFF Petitions IGP Over Invasion Of Premises

Published

13 years ago

August 27, 2012

The National Association of Government Approved Freight
Forwarders {NAGAFF}has offer all to God in a thanks giving service to celebrate
God’s mercies upon them particular in
the recent invasion of its complex by armed military men.

The Association ‘s members who gathered at its National
headquarters in Apapa Lagos for the service offered prayers to God to continue
to guide the Association, the maritime industry and Nigeria.

Commenting on the recent invasion by the armed military men
led by one Deputy Comptroller of Customs {Mrs.} Jayne Shoboiki who is said to
be the wife of a Major-General and a brigade commander in the Nigerian army,
the founder of the Association, Chief {Dr} Boniface Aniebonam said the
thanksgiving service has become necessary as God did not allow anything to
happen to him or any of NAGAFF members during the unfortunate incident.

According to him on that fateful day, he was following the
Convoy of soldiers until they stopped at NAGAFF village and invaded the place,
then he drove past them.

Aniebonam said, he is grateful to God that he was not in the
office when the invasion took place as he might have been a dead man.

He condemned the act, but said he still respects the
Nigerian armed forces.

He called on all NAGAFF members and well wishers to be calm
as investigations is on going and that justice will be done.

He absolved the military and the customs from any blame,
saying that privileged persons like the Deputy Comptroller and her Major
General husband want to show power.

It would be recalled that NAGAFF wrote a petition through
its solicitor Larry Okonkwo and Co dated August 1st, 2012 to the Inspector
General of Police, the Executive Secretary National Human Right commission and the
Comptroller General of Customs Service, captioned “complaint about the invasion
of the headquarter of NAGAFF”, a copy of which was made available to The
Tide in Lagos. The petition read in
part, “however, our experience on the
afternoon of Wednesday August 1st , 2012
is nothing to write home about and makes
nonsense of your efforts at upholding the fundamental human rights of
Nigerians and especially the rule of law policy of President Goodluck
Jonathan’s administration” .

“On the said day 13 stern-looking heavily-armed soldiers,
stormed the headquarters of NAGAFF in two vehicles, white-coloured hilux
peugeot with Registration number EM165GGE and a black Lexus SUV with
Registration. number BU300RBC led by a serving customs officer, Deputy Comptroller
Jayne Shoboiki”.

Mrs. Shoboiki is married to a serving military officer Major
General J. O. Shoboiki who is said to be a brigade commander according to the
statement.

The invasion of the NAGAFF headquarters on the afternoon of
Wednesday 1st of August 2012 at about 2:15pm by the 13 uniformed soldiers whose
names could not be ascertained immediately and under the prompting of Mrs.
Jayne Shoboiki could only happen in a state of war, where a country is
attacking another with weapon and psychological warfare to intimidate the
opponent and not just a peace loving law, abiding, hapless association like
ours.

The petition further reads that, Mrs. Shoboiki who stood at
the entrance gate raving in anger, while the army of invasion kept ransacking
the village, kept shouting at the top of her voice that she would deal
mercilessly with Dr. Aniebonam and the top management of NAGAFF, claiming that
they had consistently accused her of corrupt
practices and self enrichment to the detriment of the government.

It could also be recalled that after the red eyed soldiers,
in combat mood, led by Mrs. Jayne Shoboiki who is in charge
of the Customs Intelligence Unit
{CIU} of the Nigeria Custom Service,
Tincan Island Port Lagos invaded the NAGAFF village, the Inspector-General of
Police has in a letter dated 7th August, 2012, Ref
No:CB:7000/IGP.SEC/ABJ/VOL.98/830 directed the Lagos state police commissioner
CP Umar Manko to ensure that is no breach of the peace in Lagos State.

Business

Agency Gives Insight Into Its Inspection, Monitoring Operations

Published

4 days ago

January 12, 2026

The Tide

The Director, South South Zone National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Pharmacist Chujwuma P.Oligbu has said its thorough implementation of its core mandate of monitoring has no link with witch-hunting or fault finding as perceived at some quarters.

Oligbu, made this known when he spoke as as guest at the maiden Rivers state Supermarkets stakeholders’ Seminar/Workshop in Port Harcourt recently.

Rather, he said they were mere opportunities for education, correction and continuous improvement.

The Agency’s South South Boss, noted that Supermarket operators who maintain transparent records, cooperate during inspections, and promptly address identified gaps demonstrate professionalism and commitment to public health standard.

He listed the deserving essence of supermarket operation to include the key aspects of supermarket operation that deserves emphasis is product sourcing.

“Supermarkets must ensure that all regulated products stocked on their shelves are duly registered with NAFDAC and sourced from legitimate manufacturers or distributors”, he said .

According to him, the presence of unregistered, expired, counterfeit, or improper labelled products undermines consumer confidence and poses serious health risks.

He pointed out that such has the likelihood of exposeing supermarket operators to legal sanctions that could damage their reputation and financial stability.

The NAFDAC Operator, further enlightened the participants that mere registration of a particular product with the Federal agency do not guarantee absolute consumption safety.

“Temperature control, cleanliness, pest control, stock rotation, and proper shelving are not optional practice; they are essential components of compliance”, he said.

The South South zonal director also told the operators of supermarket that their employees rotine training on the basis of the product they display for sale is of utmost importance.

In her presentation a Breast Milk Nutrition Expert , Professor Alice Nte of University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), was against the body’s prime attention to breast milk substitute or baby milk in supermarkets as well as its advertisement or promotion.

Nye jerked up the importance of mothers breast milk to the newborn baby and added that it help in fighting against childhood diseases, infections and combating cancer in breastfeeding mothers.

Meanwhile, NAFDAC Deputy Director, South – South Zone , Mrs. Riter Chujwuma educated the participants on the guidelines for global listing, and the need to adhere strictly to rules guiding global listing to avoid confiscation of their imported products.

By: King Onunwor

Business

BVN Enrolments Rise 6% To 67.8m In 2025 — NIBSS

Published

4 days ago

January 12, 2026

The Tide

The Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) has said that Bank Verification Number (BVN) enrolments rose by 6.8 per cent year-on-year to 67.8 million as at December 2025, up from 63.5 million recorded in the corresponding period of 2024.

In a statement published on its website, NIBSS attributed the growth to stronger policy enforcement by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the expansion of diaspora enrolment initiatives.

According to the data, more than 4.3 million new BVNs were issued within the one-year period, underscoring the growing adoption of biometric identification as a prerequisite for accessing financial services in Nigeria.

NIBSS noted that the expansion reinforces the BVN system’s central role in Nigeria’s financial inclusion drive and digital identity framework.

Analysts linked the growth largely to regulatory measures by the CBN, particularly the directive to restrict or freeze bank accounts without both a BVN and National Identification Number (NIN), which took effect from April 2024.

The policy compelled many customers to regularise their biometric records to retain access to banking services.

Another major driver, the statement said, was the rollout of the Non-Resident Bank Verification Number (NRBVN) initiative, which allows Nigerians in the diaspora to obtain a BVN remotely without physical presence in the country.

The programme has been widely regarded as a milestone in integrating the diaspora into Nigeria’s formal financial system.

A five-year analysis by NIBSS showed consistent growth in BVN enrolments, rising from 51.9 million in 2021 to 56.0 million in 2022, 60.1 million in 2023, 63.5 million in 2024 and 67.8 million by December 2025. The steady increase reflects stronger compliance with biometric identity requirements and improved coverage of the national banking identity system.

However, NIBSS noted that BVN enrolments still lag the total number of active bank accounts, which exceeded 320 million as of March 2025.

The gap, it explained, is largely due to multiple bank accounts linked to single BVNs, as well as customers yet to complete enrolment, despite the progress recorded.

Business

AFAN Unveils Plans To Boost Food Production In 2026

Published

1 week ago

January 9, 2026

The Tide

The leadership of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has set the tone for the new year with a renewed focus on food security, unity and long-term growth of the agricultural sector.

The association announced that its General Assembly of Farmers Congress will take place from January 15 to 17, 2026 at the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industries, along Lugbe Airport Road, in the Federal Capital Territory.

The gathering is expected to bring together farmers, policymakers, investors and development partners to shape a fresh direction for Nigerian agriculture.

In a New Year address to members and stakeholders, AFAN president, Dr Farouk Rabiu Mudi, said the congress would provide a strategic forum for reviewing past challenges and outlining practical solutions for the future.

He explained that the event would serve as a rallying point for innovation, collaboration and economic renewal within the sector.

Mudi commended farmers across the country for their determination and hard work, despite years of insecurity, climate-related pressures and economic uncertainty.

According to him, their resilience has kept food production alive and positioned agriculture as a stabilising force in the national economy.

He noted that AFAN intends to build on this strength by resetting agribusiness operations to improve productivity and sustainability.

The AFAN leader appealed to government institutions, private investors and development organisations to deepen their engagement with the association.

He stressed the need for collective action to confront persistent issues such as insecurity in farming communities, climate impacts and market instability.

He also urged members to put aside internal disputes and personal interests, encouraging cooperation and shared responsibility in pursuit of national development.

Mudi outlined key priorities that include increasing food output, expanding support for farmers at the grassroots and strengthening local manufacturing through partnerships with both domestic and international investors adding that reducing dependence on imports remains critical to protecting the economy and creating jobs.

He stated that the upcoming congress will feature the launch of AFAN’s twenty-five-year agricultural mechanisation roadmap, alongside the announcement of new partnerships designed to accelerate growth across the value chain.

Participants, he said wi also have opportunities for networking and knowledge exchange aimed at transforming agriculture into a more competitive and technology-driven sector.

As part of its modernisation drive, AFAN is further encouraging members nationwide to enrol for the newly introduced Digital ID Card.

Mudi said the initiative will improve transparency, ensure proper farmer identification and make it easier to access support programmes and services.

Reaffirming the association’s long-term goal, he said the vision of national food sufficiency by 2030 remains achievable if unity and collaboration are sustained.

He expressed optimism that with collective effort, Nigeria’s agricultural sector can overcome its challenges and deliver a more secure and prosperous future.

Lady Usendi