SON arraigns four over alleged production of adulterated engine oil

For allegedly producing and selling adulterated engine oil, the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) has arraigned four men at the Federal High Court, Lagos State.  
 
The trial judge, Oluremi Oguntoyibo, ordered that they be remanded in prison custody pending ruling on their bail application. The accused persons are Uche Johnson, Olaide Shittu, Kingsley Meteke and Abdulquadri Olayinka. 
 
They were said to have adulterated 128 drums and 9.45 litres of engine oil. They were charged 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 was false. The products were said to have failed to comply with SON Conformity Assessment Programme.
 
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 pleaded not guilty to the charges.

After their arraignment, the prosecutor, Mr. J.A. Olofindare, from the Federal Ministry of Justice, urged the court for date for trial and for the prosecution to produce its witnesses to establish its case against the defendants. 
 
Defence counsel Mr. S.U. Nweze, informed the court of a bail application filed on behalf of the defendants. Moving the application, he urged the court to grant them bails on liberal terms.
 
Justice Oguntoyibo adjourned until March 19 for ruling on the bail application. “They are hereby remanded in prison pending determination of the bail application,” she ruled.