By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) on Wednesday January 20, arraigned two businessmen, Vanger Luper and Bright Ogbuagu, before Justice Chuka Obiozor of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos.
The defendants were arraigned on a five counts charge bordering on “dealing in substandard engine oil” and fraudulently claiming they were genuine products.
They were alleged to have produced fake Total, Mobil, Forte Oil and AMMASCO engine lubricants and put forged labels on them with the aim to deceive unsuspecting buyers.
According to SON prosecuting counsel, Adeleke Olofindare, the first defendant Luper, whose known address is 27 Bale Street, Onireke, Ojo, and second defendant, Ogbuagu of 5 Okoye Street, Igbeniri, Ojo, conspired to commit the alleged offence on December 23, 2020, at the United Allied Spare Parts Dealers Association (UASPDA), Trade Fair Complex, on the Lagos/Badagry Expressway.
Standards Organisstion of Nigeria submitted that the defendants “did fraudulently inscribe SON mark of quality, certification number and logo on the adulterated/substandard engine oil to deceive innocent consumers”.
The agency told the court that the defendants adulterated 29 cartons of AMMASCO engine oil, 24 cartons of Mobil Oil, 18 cartons of Forte Oil, two cartons of Total Oil, two cartons of A-Z Oil (one litre each) and one carton of 4-litre Forte Oil.
Also found on them were 5X25 litres of unbranded engine oil and 18X25 litres of unbranded empty jerry cans.
The prosecution submitted that the defendants “conspired and did deal in the adulterated /substandard engine oil for public consumption which did not comply nor in conformity with marking criteria of the mandatory industrial standards”.
SON contended that the defendants deceived the unsuspecting buyers to believe that the adulterated products were genuine and branded lubricants, adding that the “products were not of the quality which you (defendants) represented them to be”.
Moreover, SON said the products did not have the requisite Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) certification.
The prosecutor informed the court that the said offence allegedly committed by the defendants is punishable under Section 26 (a) and (b) of Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) Act 2015.
Besides, by dealing in the substandard lubricants, the defendants also violated and are liable to be punished under Section 1(18 a ) (i) and (ii) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act 2004.
After hearing the charge preferred against them, Luper and Ogbuagu pleaded not guilty to the five counts.
The prosecutor asked the court to remand the defendants in the custody of Nigerian Correctional Centre in view of their plea, until the case is disposed off, adding that
he has five witnesses to prove the charge.
However, the defence counsel, Mr S. T. Akinwunmi, asked the court for a short date to enable him file a bail application for the defendants.
In his ruling, Justice Obiozor ordered that the defendants be remanded in the Nigerian Correctional Services. He adjourned the matter until February 1 for hearing of their bail application.
