Business

Competition Tribunal Orders Coca – Cola to pay N190 million misleading Fines Within 60 Days

Upholding the FCCPC’s five-year investigation, findings, and imposed penalties, the tribunal ruled that NBC’s conduct constituted misleading practices in violation of Nigerian law.

Published

1 year ago

April 29, 2025

OCHEFA

614 Views

The tribunal criticised the FCCPC’s acceptance of the post-judgment settlement, saying it conflicted with the commission’s regulatory obligations.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal ( CCPT) has ordered the Nigerian Bottling Company Limited (NBC), also known as Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited to pay the N190 million administrative penalty imposed on the company for misleading packaging, within 60 days .

This was contrary to the settlement reached between the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and the NBC in the case that stemmed from an August 2024 announcement by the FCCPC in which it accused Coca-Cola and NBC of engaging in unfair marketing tactics and misleading consumers.

In a judgment delivered on Monday, April 28, a three-member panel led by presiding judge Thomas Okosun dismissed NBC’s application to adopt the settlement terms as judgment, describing it as an “attempt to arrest judgment.”

NBC’s counsel, O. Ogunride, had informed the tribunal of a settlement agreement reached with the FCCPC, requesting its adoption as a consent judgment.

The FCCPC’s representative, Abimbola Ojenike, confirmed the existence of the settlement, stating that discussions had been finalised with Akoji Achimugu, the commission’s legal director.

However, the tribunal pointed out that the terms of settlement were filed after judgment had been reserved and both parties had submitted their final written arguments.

Okosun ruled that “the notion of arrest of judgment is unknown to Nigerian law,” stressing that entering a settlement at this stage exceeded the FCCPC’s statutory authority and undermined its role as a regulator.

The tribunal criticised the FCCPC’s acceptance of the post-judgment settlement, saying it conflicted with the commission’s regulatory obligations.

The tribunal emphasized its constitutional duty to the public, asserting that it could not engage in private compromises between parties.

The panel also criticized the FCCPC’s sudden shift from its earlier position, noting that the proposed settlement declared “there is no penalty,” directly contradicting the commission’s findings from its investigation.

Consequently, the tribunal rejected the settlement and proceeded to deliver its final judgment.

Upholding the FCCPC’s five-year investigation, findings, and imposed penalties, the tribunal ruled that NBC’s conduct constituted misleading practices in violation of Nigerian law.

It affirmed that the ₦190 million administrative penalty was consistent with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) and the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

NBC’s appeal was dismissed for lack of merit, and the company was ordered to pay the fine within 60 days.

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Business

Court jails illegal forex dealer two months

The EFCC stated that the defendant pleaded guilty after the charge was read to him.

Published

22 hours ago

August 5, 2026

OCHEFA

23 Views

A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has convicted and sentenced a bureau de change operator, Dabo Malam Ardi, to two months’ imprisonment for engaging in illegal foreign exchange transactions.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, in a statement on its official X account , said that Ardi was arraigned before Justice F. N. Ogazi by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the EFCC on a one-count charge bordering on illegal foreign exchange transactions.

The charge read, “That you, Dabo Malam Ardi, sometime in 2026 in Lagos State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, engaged in a foreign exchange transaction other than through the official foreign exchange market and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 11(1)(a) of the National Economic Intelligence Committee (Establishment, etc.) Act, 1994, and punishable under Section 11(2) of the same Act.”

The EFCC stated that the defendant pleaded guilty after the charge was read to him.

Following the guilty plea, the prosecution counsel, S. I. Suleiman, reviewed the facts of the case and urged the court to convict and sentence the defendant accordingly.

Justice Ogazi subsequently found Ardi guilty and sentenced him to two months’ imprisonment, with an option of an N80,000 fine.

Business

Zenith Bank sends cyber-attack alerts to customers

It warned customers to ignore suspicious emails, text messages, and phone calls requesting sensitive banking information.

Published

22 hours ago

August 5, 2026

OCHEFA

25 Views

Zenith Bank has confirmed that hackers gained unauthorised access to part of its database, exposing limited customer information.

The bank says funds and accounts remain safe, and its banking systems have not been compromised.

The disclosure came in an email to customers on Tuesday, part of a coordinated global campaign targeting organisations across multiple sectors.

Zenith Bank said the attackers accessed a limited amount of customer information, including email addresses and phone numbers.

According to the bank, there is no evidence that hackers reached customers’ accounts, passwords, PINs, One-Time Passwords (OTPs), or funds.

The statement reassured customers that mobile and internet banking platforms, ATMs, and digital channels remain secure and fully operational.

Zenith Bank said it immediately activated its incident response protocols and cybersecurity safeguards after detecting the breach.

Investigations are ongoing, with security teams working to determine the full scope and strengthen protections against future threats.

The lender urged customers to stay vigilant against phishing attempts that often follow data breaches. It warned customers to ignore suspicious emails, text messages, and phone calls requesting sensitive banking information.

As reported by TheCable, Zenith Bank also reminded customers never to disclose passwords, PINs, OTPs, card details, or other security credentials to anyone, regardless of claims that the request comes from the bank. Cybersecurity experts have long warned that stolen contact details are often used for targeted phishing campaigns.