SON secures court order to remands fake engine oil manufacturer in Lagos

Oredola Adeola

A Lagos Federal High Court, has granted an order permitting the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) the power to remand, one, Solomon Oyumgbo, for cloning Harden Engine Oil.

SON in a statement obtained by EnergyDay, revealed that the suspect was arrested at the Auto Spare Parts and Machineries Dealers Association (ASPANDA) Market, International Trade Fair, Lagos Trade Fair International Market held recently.

EnergyDay gathered that the move was part of the regulaor’s mandate to crack down on producers of substandard engine oil in and around the Nigerian Market and to achieve its core mandate enshrined by the SON Act 2015 which is safeguarding and improving lives,

The statement from SON revealed that the suspect was arraigned before Justice Abimbola Awogboro, through the Federal Ministry of Justice.

Yusuf Ibrahim, Counsel to SON informed the court that the defendant dealt, sell and in substandard of an engine oil named Hardex SN Gold SAE 5W-30, a fully Synthetic Engine Oil which did not conform with the mandatory industrial standard for synthetic lubricating oil for Motor vehicles NIS 1024:2018.

He also told the court that the defendant without lawful authority or licence did engage in dealing and selling of Hardex SN Gold SAE 5W-30 Fully Synthetic Engine Oil.

He told the court that the offences committed by the defendant are contrary to and punishable under section 26(2)(b)(ii) of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria Act, 2015.

Lawan also said the offences contravened Sections 1(18)(a)(ii); 1(48)(a)(ii) and 1(17) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, and punishable under the same Act.

However, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the offences.

The prosecutor asked for a short date for trial, and equally urged the court to remand the defendant in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS), till the determination of the charges

However, Barrister Onah Chinedu, who represented the defendant ‘probono’, asked the court for a short date, to enable him file the defendant’s bail application.

The lawyer also pleaded with the court to remand the defendant in the custody of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (ForceCID), Alagbon-Ikoyi Lagos, till the hearing and determination of the bail application.

Justice Awogboro, in her bench ruling, ordered that the defendant be remanded in Force Criminal Investigation Department FCID’s custody, till May 5, when his bail application would be heard.