Connect with us

Headlines

Land war: Zuma Rock MD, Ufomadu, accuses Adron Homes of  intimidation over landed property.

By Our Reporter
The  Managing Director, Zuma Rock Products Limited, Engr. Bob Ufomadu,  has expressed serious concern over incessant harassment, threats to life, intimidation and persistent arrests by officials of Adron Homes & Property Limited, over covert moves to force him to surrender his landed property to them.
In a press statement issued by the Engineering company, the firm noted with dismay, several attempts by officials of Adron Homes in conjunction with some security officers to kidnap its Chief Executive in a bid to forcefully take over his landed property located in Shimawa, Ogun state.
Explaining the genesis of the crisis to the media, Ufomadu recalled that, in a letter dated August 20, 2020, Adron offered to relocate his farms from Ewuoje to Agerige village in Shimawa, Ogun state on the guise that his 12 acres of land is surrounded by the land already purchased by Adron.
The letter signed by the Head, Legal/Client Services department of Adron, Mr. Idris Akande,read in part, ‘Our Company is thereto very much interested in acquiring the said land in order for same to properly aligned with our already acquired land bordering and surrounding your land. We are ready to replace your 12 acres of land with 15 acres at Agerige, Shimawa, Ogun state.”
But  Zuma Rock in a reply to the letter, dated September 28, 2020, said “We are yet to understand the import of such proposal to relocate us to another community, when we have not indicated any need to do so”.
“Kindly, be informed that we acquired our 12 acres of land over 10 years ago for our business purposes. We have within the period under reference spent huge sums of money at local and international levels in consultancy services for the proposed projects.
‘This much, we disclosed to your emissaries at our preliminary meeting”, the letter further stated.
Continuing, it stated, “We had already spent more than Three Hundred Million Naira (N300m) to develop the land over the years, excluding economic trees like plantain and banana as well as vegetables on the land.
“We acquired the12 acres of land from Osogayan Oromuti Oje family, 61 Isote Street, Makun Sagamu local government area of Ogun state in 2011 and we made the acquisition based on general layout produced by the family surveyor.
“We went ahead to process our own registered survey. We took possession of the land immediately and have continued to occupy the land and having peace since 2011 without any disturbance from anywhere.
“Our property is completely fenced and gated with a building for our workers. We have over the years, maintained access road to the land without confrontation from any quarters. The access road is equally used by other land owners in the area for years without hindrances from anybody”`.
He said Adron’s blocking of access road has made it so difficult to harvest their crops, thereby making the crops to rot away in the farm, urging them to open the public access for easy egress and ingress.
Ufomadu said since after their meeting in August 2020, Adron has been using all manners of threats to life and property, including ‘sms’ messages from known and unknown phone numbers, inviting us to meet the third party and so on.
According to his statement, “at exactly 8:15 am on the 16th day of March 2021, as I drove out of my house to go and drop my child in the school. Not knowing that some unknown people had laid ambush in front of my street, Otunba Runsewe Street, Journalists Estate, Phase 1, Arepo, Ogun State.
‘’As I drove out of my house gate, I noticed that there was an Adron Homes branded SUV with registration number KWL-31HC, which moved to block my path and before I knew what was happening, two hefty men  jumped out of the vehicle and ordered me to wind-down my glass.
“Instantly, a second vehicle blocked me from back and the only thing that came to my mind was that Adron Homes had sent hired assassins to kill me, as we had previously refused their offer”.
He said when he saw the developing situation on ground, he picked his phone to place a call to his wife, and he was prevented, as one of them immediately jumped inside his car and forcefully snatched his phone and continued to pin him down in his vehicle.
But reprieve came, when he shouted on top of his voice and his house-help heard it and informed his wife, even as the noise attracted his neighbourhood, who prevailed on the officials, not to whisk him away that early morning.

The Warewa Police station was called immediately and their intervention saved the situation, as it was discovered that the move to arrest him did not follow due process, as there was no warrant for his arrest.

Investigation revealed that there was no authorization from any quarter to arrest him, even as the said petition was trumped-up by Adron along with other land owners.
“If somebody writes a petition against someone, is it not the duty of the Police to invite the person, does it call for any arrest, unless the person refused to honour Police invitations. They did not even invite other land owners. Why only me? Because they are desperate over my land”, Ufomadu claimed
Ufomadu claimed the Investigating Police Officer(IPO) Inspector  Abu  Sikiru, who is in charge of the case, may have been compromised by the officials of Adron Homes, as the  Police officer deceived his legal adviser as well as his wife, directing them to go to Alagbon Police station, Lagos for the bail, instead of informing them that they were taking him to Abuja.
He said, they drove straight to Muritala Mohammed International Airport and bundled him inside a Dana flight to Abuja, which took off by 9.30pm and landed at about 10:45pm”.
According to him, one of the listed suspects in the purported petition, Mr. Kayode Johnson, showed-up at Warewa Police Station, but was not arrested.
“This goes to demonstrate how far Adron Homes in conjunction with the Nigerian Police were ready to intimidate, harass and threaten my life”, he noted.
The IPO, according to him, took him to Zuba Police Station, Abuja and dropped him in an overcrowded cell, instead of taking him to Force Headquarters, Abuja as promised.
This according to him, was meant to dehumanize and punish him, as directed by their pay masters.
“Just imagine a (4 x 4) meter cell accommodating over 30 people overnight, endangering my health, especially at this moment of Corona virus pandemic and other airborne diseases.
“The IPO was told of my health condition. Nowhere to stand, nowhere to sit, I will not wish my worst enemy to spend 5 minutes in that cell. This has caused emotional trauma and the experience would remain indelible in  my mind for the rest of my life”, he lamented.
“I was later granted bail and requested to come back to Abuja on March 24, 2021 with the original papers of my land, possibly to seize all my land documents and subsequently force me to surrender the property I laboured for to Adron”, he contemplated.
Meanwhile, another land owner, Mr. Patrick Udeh,  has also alleged how Adron Homes encroached on his land, erecting walls and gates around his land and adjoining plots.
He said the estate firm is using its contacts and financial power to intimidate land owners and helpless land buyers.
“I am calling on people of the mass media to help me and make my voice heard before Adron Homes exterminates all of us in order to possess our land against our will and without consideration for our rights to own properties”, he stated.
Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Customs

Customs complies with ministry’s directive, seeks alternative funding of its services after suspension of 4 percent FOB levy

Funso OLOJO
The Nigeria Customs Service has said it was engaging the Federal ministry of Finance, its supervisory ministry, to seek guidance on alternative measures following the suspension of the 4 percent Free-on- Board (FOB) to ensure continuity of its services to Stakeholders
It could be recalled that the Finance ministry gave a marching order to NCS to halt the implementation of the controversial 4 percent FOB levy on imports.
However,acknowledging the receipt of the suspension order from the Finance ministry, the Customs, through a public statement,  said it  appreciates the Ministry’s engagement on this matter and remains committed to supporting government fiscal policies.
“The NCS remains optimistic about ongoing discussions with the Federal Ministry of Finance and other relevant stakeholders to address the concerns raised while ensuring that the Service’s statutory obligations are met effectively.
” We look forward to constructive engagement that will ultimately serve the best interests of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, enhance revenue generation, and support the nation’s economic growth objectives through efficient customs administration.
“It is also necessary to draw attention to ongoing media reports suggesting that the Service introduced the 4% FOB only recently.
“For clarity, the Service wishes to emphasise that the National Assembly established the 4% FOB provision through Section 18(1)(a) of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, which stipulates “not less than 4% of the free-on-board value of imports according to international best practices” as a statutory funding mechanism for the Service’s operations.
“The Service assures all stakeholders, including the trading public, licensed customs agents, and international partners, that our operations will continue without any disruption.
” We remain firmly committed to delivering efficient service, upholding international best practices and supporting Nigeria’s economic growth through effective revenue collection and enhanced trade facilitation” the statement concluded.
Continue Reading

Customs

FG orders Customs to suspend collection of 4 percent FOB levy 

Funso OLOJO 
For the second time, the collection of controversial 4 percent Free-on- Board(FOB) Levy on imported goods have been suspended.
This time, it was the Federal government through the Ministry of Finance, the supervising Ministry of the Nigeria Customs Service that ordered the suspension.
In a memo dated September 15th, 2025 and signed  on behalf of the Minister of Finance by one R.O Omachi, the Permanent Secretary, Special Duties and addressed to the Comptroller- General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, the government stated that extensive consultations with industry stakeholders and trade experts have revealed that the 4% FOB charge poses significant challenges to the Nigerian trade facilitation environment and economic stability.
The letter reads, “Pursuant to the powers vested upon the Honourable Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy under Part Ill, Section 12 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 as the Chairman of the Board of Nigeri a Customs Services, I write to direct the immediate suspension of the implementation of the collection of 4% Free on Board (FOB) recently levied
by the Nigeria Customs Service on all imported goods.“Following extensive consultations with industry stakeholders. trade experts, and relevant government officiais, it has become clear that the implementation of the 4% FOB charge poses significant challenges to the Nigerian trade facil tation, environment and economic stability.

“Many importers and businesses have raised concerns about the increased financial burden this levy imposes, with potential adverse effects on inflation, trade competitiveness, and the overall business Climate in Nigeria.

“This suspension will provide an opportunity for comprehensive stakeholder engagement and & thorough review of the levy’s framework and its broader economic implications .

“The Ministry of Finance looks forward to working closely with the Service and all relevant parties to devise a more equitable and efficient revenue structure that susports both revenue generation and economic growth and stability.

“Ensure strict compliance. ‘,the memo concluded.

The first time the controversial Levy was suspended was in February 2025 when it was shortly introduced but the public outcry which greeted the introduction make the Customs management hastily suspended its implementation.
However, the Customs re- introduced the levy on August 4th, 2025.
Meanwhile, the National Spokesman of the Customs, Assistant Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada denied knowledge of the memo.
‘”I am not aware of such memo.
I am hearing it for the first time ” he declared when asked to react to the document.
The 4 percent FOB Levy is meant to fund Customs’ technological modernization programs, replacing the previous 1% Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme (CISS) fee.
Continue Reading

Customs

Comptroller Anani vows to enforce zero tolerance for smuggling as he takes the mantle of leadership at PTML

Funso OLOJO 
The new Customs Area Controller for Ports Terminal Multi services Limited (PTML)Command, Comptroller Joe Anan, has vowed to sustain the momentum of the command, enforce zero tolerance for smuggling and facilitate genuine trade in order to keep the lofty records of the command growing.
He made the pledge while taking the mantle of leadership of the command from the recently promoted ,Assistant Comptroller General,Tenny Mankini Daniyan.
The new Area controller  described the command and stakeholders as very well organised and promised to build on the various pioneering feats ACG Daniyan achieved
Comptroller Anani listed the successful roll out and subsequent revenue collection and trade facilitation achievements associated with the Unified Customs Management System, also known as B’Odogwu, as great milestones that must be improved on.
He also called on all customs officers, officials of sister government agencies and private sector stakeholders to join hands with him in the journey to keep the great records of PTML high
Comptroller Anani urged all the stakeholders to stay on the path of compliance as they stand to benefit more from being on the right side of the law at all times.
 He also promised to strictly enforce the CGC’s zero tolerance for smuggling
The CAC who promised to be accessible to all, also sought that everyone should feel free to interact with him either directly through visits or virtually.
Comptroller Anani said “While thanking God and the CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for the opportunity to serve here, let me state that our journey to succeed must remain a collective task. I am not here to do it alone.
“I hereby call on all customs officers, sister government agencies, private sector stakeholders and the press to support me in our goal to sustain PTML as a model port of excellence, known for security, efficiency and diligent trade facilitation.
“I pledge to build and improve on the gains achieved by my predecessors in the area of faster cargo clearance which aligns with Time Release Study (TRS) programme.
“I am aware that this command holds an outstanding record of two hour cargo release time for compliant RoRo consignment.
” The key word here is compliance. With improved compliance and efficient system, we can do less than two hours.
“Compliance, as the key to trade facilitation, is critical for smooth port operations.
“It ensures adherence to regulations, reduces delays, mitigates risks, and fosters trust among trading partners.
” Compliance minimises bottlenecks and enhances efficiency in global trade and PTML cannot be an exception.
” I want to urge all our stakeholders to imbibe the tenets of compliance because it results in a win-win situation for everyone, saving time and money.
” Whereas non compliance leads to interventions, issuance of demand notices, waste of time and possible seizure , detention and arrest.
” Let’s continue to make this area a great example that it has always been.
“The CGC’s zero tolerance for smuggling will be duly enforced on my watch and I am convinced from my background checks that our stakeholders are on the right track.
“Let me use this opportunity to inform you that my office is without a door. I shall be accessible to all physically and virtually in the quest to improve on our duties.
” Feel free to interact with me and avail me all relevant information needed for my success on this assignment” he concluded
Various stakeholders at the command while welcoming the new CAC also commended the ACG Daniyan for his outstanding performance in seeing to the success of B’Odogwu from its pilot phase to full deployments across various commands
They described the ACG’s leadership as outstanding with trail blazing effects on increased trade, revenue ,anti smuggling and robust interaction with stakeholders.
The President of the Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON) Otunba Frank Ogunojemite described Daniyan as a man whose records speak volumes positively while urging him to carry his working zeal ahead into NCS management team.
Chairman of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents, PTML Chapter, Chief Charles Nwarrienne described Daniyan as an excellent officer deserving to be issued a “certificate of project completion” for diligently achieving the success of B’Odogwu from beginning to a state of consolidation.
Continue Reading

Trending