Fake Foreign Labels Boosted Ogun Shoe Factory’s Sales, Suspects Admit

Five suspects arrested over the production and sale of counterfeit footwear at a factory in Makun, Sagamu, Ogun State, have admitted that using imitated foreign brand names helped the company attract more customers and record higher sales.

The Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU), Lagos, disclosed this in a statement following investigations into the activities of Meibalun International Nigeria Limited, which allegedly manufactured and marketed footwear bearing the trademarks of international brands without authorisation.

The suspects were identified as Ojeleye Esther, Olulenu Adebola, Adewunmi Titilayo and two Chinese nationals, Zhu Hai Chen and Zhou Hai Fen.

According to the police, the company presented itself as a manufacturer of Nigerian-made footwear but was found producing shoes bearing the names and trademarks of Gucci, Nike, Timberland, Louis Vuitton, Adidas and other international brands.

The suspects reportedly admitted during interrogation that using the imitated foreign labels generated greater sales and market patronage than selling the products under Nigerian-made branding.

Further investigations by the unit's Stock Capital Market Fraud Section also uncovered alleged irregularities in the company's financial transactions.

The police said payments made by customers were allegedly diverted into private bank accounts rather than the company's designated corporate account.

The discovery prompted investigators to trace the ownership, movement and utilisation of the proceeds from the alleged activities.

The Commissioner of Police in charge of the PSFU, Eloho Edwin Okpoziakpo, said the unit's responsibility to combat financial crimes extended beyond conventional banking and investment fraud to commercial practices capable of undermining the integrity of the business environment.

He stressed that the police would not restrict their attention to traditional financial offences while other activities involving economic sabotage and intellectual property violations continued unchecked.

Okpoziakpo assured the public that the investigation would be conducted professionally and in accordance with due process, adding that anyone found culpable would be brought to justice.