The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has arraigned four men before Justice Oluremi Oguntoyibo at the Federal High Court in Lagos, for allegedly producing and selling substandard and adulterated engine oil.
The accused persons, Uche Johnson, Olaide Shittu, Kingsley Meteke and Abdulquadri Olayinka, were alleged to have adulterated 128 drums and 9.45 litres of engine oil, and charged with four counts of production, possession, dealing in and distribution of substandard engine oil.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges and claimed that the products were good for public consumption and for optimum engine performance, which the prosecution said was false.
The counsel to SON said the defendants indulged in production of engine oil which did not meet mandatory industrial standards and the offence contravened the provisions of sections 1(8) and 1(8)(II) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 2004.
The prosecutor urged the court to fix a date for trial to enable it produce its witnesses to establish its case against the defendants.
The defence counsel informed the court of a bail application filed on behalf of the defendants and urged the court to grant them bails on liberal terms.
Justice Oluremi Oguntoyibo ordered that they be remanded in prison custody pending ruling on their bail application and adjourned until March 19 for ruling on the bail application.
She, thereafter, fixed May 2, 7 and 9 for trial.
