Justice Abimbola Awogboro of a Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the remand of a motor oil dealer, Solomon Otumgbo, in police custody pending hearing and determination of his bail application. The order was in continuation of the indictment of Otumgbo by the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) for allegedly dealing, producing, distributing and selling adulterated and substandard motor oil. Addressing the judge, the prosecutor, Yusuf Lawan, stated that the accused committed the alleged offenses on November 11, 2022 at the Aspamda International Fair in Lagos. He said the defendant produced and sold an inferior motor oil called Hardex SN Gold SAE 5W-30, a fully synthetic motor oil that did not conform to the mandatory industry standard for synthetic lubricating oil for motor vehicles NIS 1024:2018.
Lawan, while notifying the court that the accused, without legal authority or license, engaged in trading and selling Hardex SN Gold SAE 5W-30 fully synthetic motor oil, added that the offenses are contrary to and punishable under section 26 (2) ( b)(ii) of the Standards Organization of Nigeria Act, 2015. He held that the offenses contravened 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.
But Otumgbo pleaded not guilty to the charge, after which the prosecutor asked for a short trial date. Likewise, he urged the court to commit the accused to prison pending the conclusion of the case. In response, defense lawyer Onah Chinedu, asked the court for a short date to enable him file his client’s bail application. Chinedu also pleaded with the judge to remand the accused in police custody pending the hearing and determination of the bail application. In a bench ruling, Justice Awogboro remanded the accused in police custody and adjourned the matter to May 5 for a bail application hearing.
