Two men plead guilty, sentenced to two years imprisonment for engine oil adulteration 

Chinazor Megbolu   |  

Two men, Mr. Uche Johnson and Mr. Kingsley Meteke have pleaded guilty to the offence of oil adulteration which earned them a two- year jail sentence each. The Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday convicted the duo for producing and distributing substandard engine oil.

They were handed the sentence by Justice Oluremi Oguntoyibo after they pleaded guilty to the offence.

In a statement issued by the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Johnson and Meteke admitted to have adulterated 128 drums and 9.45 litres of engine oil.

Due to the offence,they were charged with four counts of production, possession, dealing in and distribution of substandard engine oil.

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

According to SON; “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 SON Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP)”.

The prosecution, SON,  hinted the offence contravenes the provisions of sections 1(8) and 1(8)(II) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 2004.

The statement further said the defendants at the initial stage pleaded not guilty to the charges, but pleaded guilty later.

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

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

According to him; “I want to tell genuine manufacturers and consumers that they should not be despondent or complacent. SON is there to prosecute any offender.

“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 SON Conformity  Assessment Programme  (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”.