Customs ACG not Involved in Deal With My Business Partner, Verydarkman Lied – Aremu, Lagos Freight Forwarder
A Lagos based freight forwarder, Fawole Abiola Aremu has disclosed that no Assistant Comptroller General of Customs (ACG) was part of his deal with a business associate for funding to clear some containers .
Aremu said this while reacting to claims by a human rights activist, Martins Vincent Otse, popularly called Verydarkman, that he fraudulently obtained money from the partner jb the deal.
Aremu who defended his dealings with the Nigeria Customs Service and his contractual relationship with Dr Israel Agimor Eshanekpe, said that their dispute is purely a civil matter. In an interview with journalists, Aremu addressed claims about the existence of the containers, the amount paid, his long-standing relationship with Customs, and possible legal action.
Aremu said he has never lost money directly to Customs through auctioning or other processes in 23 years of working with the service. “Anyone who says they lost money directly to Customs may not have followed the proper or professional process. In my 23 years of working with Customs, I have never lost a dime to the service. Rather, I have assisted people who had legitimate dealings with Customs and encountered difficulties,” he stated.
He firmly rejected suggestions that the containers do not exist. “The containers are genuine and they are still at the terminal. Their existence have been confirmed,” Aremu said. He explained that there were 24 containers in total, but he agreed to process 10 with Eshanekpe. Those 10 containers remain at the terminal and the process of clearing them is ongoing. He challenged anyone claiming otherwise to reveal their source of information.
Aremu described his contact with Eshanekpe as brief. He met him in July after a close friend introduced him to Mr Osifo, who then introduced him to Eshanekpe. The meeting and signing of the agreement happened within one or two weeks. “Our relationship was relatively new. Unfortunately, what was supposed to be a lasting business relationship has taken another direction. I maintain that what exists between Israel and I is purely a contractual agreement and, therefore, a civil matter,” he said.
According to Aremu, the agreement was for N200 million to finance 10 containers, not eight as previously reported. Eshanekpe paid N96 million and failed to fulfil the full financial obligation. There was no specific completion date, only a discussion that the process could take two or three months. Aremu said he was surprised when Eshanekpe called three days later to say he was no longer interested. He also noted that he has refunded N30 million of the money received, a detail he said was omitted from Verydarkman’s publications.
Aremu stressed that no Customs officers—serving or retired—were named in the agreement, which is signed and witnessed and can be verified. He said his relationship with the Nigeria Customs Service, built over nearly 30 years, has been affected by the controversy and that he honoured an invitation for questioning and was told the investigation is ongoing. “Whatever the outcome, Customs is an institution that has contributed to people like us, and I still believe in the integrity of the institution and its personnel,” he added.
He offered to provide bills of lading and container numbers to prove the containers’ existence and dismissed related claims involving tramadol. “Where is the tramadol? When the time comes, the facts will speak for themselves,” Aremu said. He attributed current delays to the controversy and the damage done to his reputation and that of the Customs Service.
Aremu expressed willingness to settle any legitimate outstanding balance through civil means while insisting on clearing his name. He has contacted his lawyers over what he considers a defamatory publication and said he will not sit back while his name is wrongly portrayed. “I did not organise this press conference because anybody compelled me to. I did it to clear my name, protect my family and reassure my clients, friends and associates that the allegations published against me do not represent the true picture of what happened,” he concluded.
Also speaking at the briefing,legal counsel to Aremu, Babatunde Hamzat, said his client is studying the legal implications of the accusations and may consider legal action to seek redress and compensation for damages done to his client’s reputation.
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