Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court in Lagos has remanded a businessman, Solomon Otumgbo, in prison for alleged dealing, production, distribution and sale of adulterated and substandard motor oils.
The judge ordered the defendant to remain behind bars pending a hearing and determination of his bail application after he pleaded not guilty to a six-count charge brought against him by the Standard Organization 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 accused allegedly committed the offenses on November 11, 2022 at the Aspamda International Fair in Lagos.
Lawan, who is a senior counsel for the ministry, informed the judge that the accused processed, produced, distributed and sold the substandard motor oil, called Hardex SN Gold SAE 5W-30, a fully synthetic motor oil, which it did not conform to the mandatory industry standard for synthetic motor vehicle lubricating oil NIS 1024:2018.
He stated that the defendant, without legal authority or license, engaged in the business of dealing and selling Hardex SN Gold SAE 5W-30 fully synthetic motor oil.
The lawyer insisted that the offenses are repugnant and punishable under Section 26 (2) (b) (ii) of the Organization of Nigerian Standards Act, 2015.
Lawan also held that the offenses violated Sections 1(18)(a)(ii); 1(48)(a)(ii) and 1(17) of the Miscellaneous Offenses Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, and punishable under the same Act.
Based on the defendant’s statement, the prosecutor urged the court to fix a trial date and remand him in the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) prison, pending the outcome of the trial.
Justice Awogboro, in a bench ruling, ordered that the accused be remanded in the custody of ForceCID while adjourning the matter till May 5, 2023 for hearing of the application.
