6th November, 2021
The Managing Director of Superior Textiles Limited, Abraham Adeniji has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of lying against him and that he never obtained goods under false pretence and diversion of funds to the tune of N82.8 million.
The Lagos Zonal Command of the EFCC had in a statement issued to the media said it has arrested Adeniji for allegedly obtaining goods under false pretence and diversion of funds to the tune of N82, 803,550.00.
A statement issued by EFCC’s spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren said Adeniji was arrested following a petition received by the Commission from one Gao Shu Quin, a Chinese national.
But Adeniji, in a rejoinder said the report the EFCC circulated in the media against him was false, malicious and defamatory.
Read the full rejoinder below
A REJOINDER TO THE PUBLICATION BY THE ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMISSION (EFCC) MADE ON TUESDAY OCTOBER 5, 2021
BACKGROUND FACTS
On Tuesday October 5, 2021. the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) published in various print and online media including PM News, The Nigerian News Direct and on her website a news item captioned “Nigeria’s Adeniji Smashed for defrauding Chinese Gao Shu Quin N 82.8m” amongst other varied headlines.
In the body of the said publication my photograph was displayed with a board indicating EFCC Lagos Zonal Office, my name, CR/NO 2158/2021 Section PFS/TA and offence indicated as Alleged Criminal diversion of goods.
The publication further stated that I obtained goods under false pretence to the tune of N82,803,550:00k since 2017 and diverted the proceed for personal use.
This story in completely false, malicious and defamatory and I have requested my lawyers to take the necessary steps in the circumstance.
THE TRUE STORY
I am the managing Director of Superior Textiles Limited which caries on the business of sales of Textile materials among other business.
I met the Chinese woman Gao Shu Qin sometime in the year 2017 and she uses any of the following companies for her transactions: 5 Star Nigeria Limited, Easy Akcess Nigeria Limited, Akcess prospects Nigeria limited and Sabiz Feeds and Fertilizer. All sums due to her are usually paid in to any of the above company accounts inline with her instructions.
We have since then done business in very high volumes without any hitches. The nature of the business is to receive a supply of containers of Textile materials from the company and credit the company’s account as the materials are solid. At any point where we require further supply both parties will balance the sales account and any outstanding unpaid is carried over and record of all new supplies are kept by both parties.
This continued until sometime in November the year 2020 when Gao Shu Qin came over to my office requiring that we document the outstanding indeptedness at the time in the form of an agreement as she intended to show same to her mother company in China and she gave a commitment in paragraphs 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 which captures the tradition of the business.
For the avoidance of doubt the paragraphs read this:
- The supplier variously supplied the customer wit textiles materials and the customer is indebted to the supplier to the tune of N82, 803, 550.00 (Eighty Two Million, Eight Hundred and Three Thousand, Five Hundred and Fifty Naira) only, resulting from various transactions between the supplier and the customer.
- The supplier agrees to continue from time to time during the lifespan of this agreement, to supply the customer with at least two containers of textiles materials every calendar month while the customer undertakes to settle up the outstanding debt of N82, 803, 550.00 (Eighty Two Million, Eight Hundred and Three Thousand, Five Hundred and Fifty Naira) only by paying N15, 000,000.00 (Fifteen Million Naira) every six calendar months which includes the clearances costs until the total outstanding debt is completely liquidated.
- The parties agree that the customer shall be the sole agent/distributor of the supplier in the whole of Lagos State of Nigeria and that whosoever intends to do business of buying the goods supplied by the supplier in the State shall do so only through the customer, provided that the supplier’s compliance with this paragraph depends entirely on the customer’s compliance with and commitment to the terms and conditions contained in this agreement.
- The parties agree that the costs of clearance of any goods supplied shall be paid by the customer, provided that the supplier shall reimburse the customer the clearance costs which will form part of the N15, 000,000.00 (Fifteen Million Naira) the customer agrees to pay every six calendar month to enable it liquidated the said outstanding debt of N82, 803, 550.00 (Eighty Two Million, Eight Hundred and Three Thousand, Five Hundred and Fifty Naira).
- In the event the customer does not have money to pay for the clearance at a particular time, the supplier will pay for the clearance fees.
- The supplier will also open an office in Lagos State which will serve as an overseer of sales of the goods supplied to the customer, the rent of the office shall be paid by the customer, provided that the rent of the warehouse used to keep the goods shall be shared equally between the supplier and the customer.
The amount of indebtedness at the time of the written agreement and the was N82, 803, 550.00 (Eighty Two Million, Eight Hundred and Three Thousand, Five Hundred and Fifty Naira) only to be offset by payment of the sum of N15,000,000 (Fifteen Million Naira) every six calendar months which includes the clearance costs until the total outstanding debt is completely liquidated.
Gao Shu Qin on November 14, 2020 returned with her copy of the agreement and requested me to give her a security for the outstanding debt which was adjusted to N82, 803, 550: 00 (Eighty-Two Million, Eight Hundred and Three Thousand, Five Hundred and Fifty Naira) only by virtue of payments which I had already made. I handed over to her the original copy of my property in Alimosho valued at N65, 000, 000 (Sixty-Five Million naira) only.
Interestingly, after this agreement was executed, I paid the sum of N53, 846, 000 (Fifty-Three Million, Eight Hundred and Forty-Six Thousand naira) only into Gao Shu Qin’s Company account and other accounts supplied by her which sum was for the existing stock of goods in the store. The last payment to her was on 25th January, 2021 when I paid him the sum of N2,340,000 (Two Million Three Hundred and forty Thousand Naira) in to the account of Sabiz Feeds and Fertilizer.
Since the agreement was executed, no single container of textile materials was supplied to me despite my remitting over N52, 000, 000 (Fifty-Two Million naira) only to Gao Shu Qin.
I severally called Gao Shu Qin to demand for reason why she is not keeping up with the agreement by supplying textiles as undertaken by her but her excuse was that the parent company in China was yet to release the goods. I then informed her that if the business was no longer appealing to her, she should, as is the custom, refund all expenses for the payment for warehouses and shop outlets around Lagos so we could establish new contacts in the business and do business with other company/persons. Our claim for refunds which were jointly verified by both parties is well over N50, 000, 000 (Fifty Million naira) only.
This was what prompted Gao Shu Qin to write a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission boasting that she will deal with me as she knows everyone at the top in the Commission.
MY ARREST AND DETENTION
I got an invitation from the E.F.CC to report to its Lagos Zonal Office for questioning in an on-going investigation on the 9th September, 2021.
Upon receipt of the notice of the said invitation, I caused my solicitors to respond to the invitation of the E.F.C.C informing them of my unavailability since I was in Abuja at the time and that I would be at their office on Tuesday the 18th day of September, 2021. Despite this letter duly acknowledged by the E.F.C.C on 9th September, 2021 the E.F.C.C invaded my home at Lekki in Lagos with a truck load of policemen armed to the teeth seeking to arrest me. This was repeated the following day.
As promised in my letter I reported to the E.F.C.C on 18th September, 2021 and was asked to make a statement and a few days later I was given some onerous bail conditions which I struggled to meet up with.
Little did I know that my photograph taken during the process of interrogation and several Publications had been sent out to the public domain insinuating that I obtained goods from Gao Shu Qin under false pretence. I make bold to say that at no point in time did Gao Shu Qin or anybody release goods to me on any false pretence.
My account details are there to prove that payments have always been made to Gao Shu Qin up till 25th January, 2021.
CIVIL SUIT IN HIGH COURT OF KANO STATE.
To ventilate my grievance against Gao Shu Qin for her breach of the agreement entered into in November,2020, I filed a civil suit No: K/445/2021 in the High court of Kano state BETWEEN SUPERIOR TEXTILES LIMITED & ANOR VS. AKCESS PROSPECTED NIGERIA LIMITED & ANOR wherein I am seeking damages against her for breach of contract. A copy of processes filed in this suit was given to the E.F.C.C but was discountenanced by her officers.
MY POSTION
After several consultations I have decided to assert my right by consistently following the path of truth and justice by redeeming my image via instituting a Fundamental Rights action to assert the civil nature of the contract and to restrain the E.F.C.C from allowing itself and it’s machinery to be used and exploited by foreign citizens for the oppression of Nigerians and seeking to turn to a civil case into criminal case and dehumanising, degrading and humiliating Nigeria business partners on the pretext that they know our system better than we do and so must do business in any manner they dictate, including blackmail.
While I take the above steps and many others, I call upon the E.F.C.C to as a matter of urgency withdraw the publication under reference and tender to me an unreserved apology.
Thank you.
Yours truly,
Mr. Abraham Adeniji