Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court in Lagos has remanded a businessman, Solomon Otumgbo, in prison for alleged dealing, producing, distributing and selling adulterated and substandard engine oils.
The judge ordered that the defendant be kept behind bars until the hearing and determination of his bail application after he pleaded not guilty to a six-count charge brought against him by the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON).
A lawyer from the Federal Ministry of Justice, Yusuf Lawan, who is prosecuting the case on behalf of SON, told the court that the defendant allegedly committed the offences on November 11, 2022, at Aspamda International Trade Fair, Lagos.
Lawan, who is a principal counsel in the ministry, informed the judge that the defendant dealt, produced, distributed and sold the substandard 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 claimed that the defendant, without lawful authority or licence, did engage in dealing and selling Hardex SN Gold SAE 5W-30 Fully Synthetic Engine Oil.
The lawyer insisted that the offences are contrary to and punishable under section 26(2)(b)(ii) of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria Act, 2015.
Lawan also maintained that the offences violated 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.
Based on the plea of the defendant, the prosecutor urged the court to fix the trial date and to remand him in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS), pending the outcome of the trial.
Justice Awogboro, in a bench ruling, ordered that the defendant be remanded in ForceCID’s custody while she adjourned the matter till May 5, 2023 for the hearing of the application.
