Two jailed over engine oil adulteration

The federal high court in Lagos on Friday convicted two men, Uche Johnson and Kingsley Meteke, for producing and distributing substandard engine oil.

Oluremi Oguntoyibo, the judge, convicted them after pleaded guilty to the offence.

She sentenced them to two years imprisonment each. They admitted to have adulterated 128 drums and 9.45 litres of engine oil.

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) charged them with four counts of production, possession, dealing in and distribution of substandard engine oil.

SON said the defendants indulged in production of engine oil which did not meet mandatory industrial standards.

The defendants claimed that the products were good for public consumption and for optimum engine performance, which prosecution said were false.

The products were said to have failed to comply with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria’s (SON) Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP).

According to the prosecution, the offence contravened the provisions of sections 1(8) and 1(8)(II) of the miscellaneous offences act, 2004.

The defendants had initially pleaded not guilty to the charges, but later changed their plea to guilty.

The sentence will begin from January 27, 2019 when the defendants were arrested.

Joseph Olofindare, prosecuting counsel, said the judgment would serve as a deterrent to manufacturers and importers of substandard products.

“I want to tell genuine manufacturers and consumers that they should not be despondent or complacent. SON is there to prosecute any offender,” he said.

“It’s a judgment that will send a message to the public that SON is working tirelessly under the leadership of Osita Aboloma.

“If you’re an importer or manufacturer, you either bring products that are certified under Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) and SONCAP, otherwise the fate that befell these individuals will also befall those who are indulging in product adulteration.

“For our consumers, the Director General and management are working tirelessly to ensure that consumers get value for their money and that only standard and certified products are in the market.”