Businessman remanded for ‘adulterating engine oil, forging SON logo’

The federal high court in Lagos on Wednesday remanded in police custody, a businessman, Chidi Nwanyanwu, charged with adulteration of engine oil and inscribing forged Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) logos on the product.

Maureen Onyetenu, the presiding judge, made the order following Nwanyanwu’s arraignment alongside his two firms, Two Ocean Oil Ltd and Hi-Power Lubricants.

In four counts, the SON accused the defendants of dealing in adulterated engine oil, non-compliance with SON’s Conformity Assessment Programme and forging of the SON’s logo, mark of quality and certification number.

The SON’s counsel, Joseph Olofindare, said the defendants, of No. 21, Kenneth Obas Place Estate, Ojo, Lagos, committed the offence, on or about February 1, 2021, at the Trade Fair Administrative Block Complex, Badagry Expressway, Lagos.

The offences, according to Olofindare, are punishable under sections Section 26, 26(a)&(b) of the SON Act, 2015, and section 1(18a)(ii) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 2004.
The defendants pleaded not guilty.

Their counsel, Uchenna Umoneke, informed the court that his client’s bail motion had been filed and served on the prosecution.

Olofindare did not oppose the application. But he alleged that Nwanyanwu had been evasive since 2016 and had dishonoured all of the SON’s invitations for a meeting on how to find a remedy for the problems created by his products.

Following the allegation, Umoneke prayed for a short date to enable him to file a further and better affidavit for Nwanyanwu’s bail.

Granting his prayer, nyetenu, adjourned till March 10, 2021, for hearing of the defendant’s bail application.

She remanded Nwanyanwu at the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (CIID), Ikoyi, Lagos.