Court remands businessman in Sokoto for allegedly producing adulterated engine oil

A Federal High Court in Sokoto has remanded a businessman, Mr. Atiku Abubakar Gwandu in correctional facility for allegedly producing and distributing adulterated Ammasco and IBCON automobile engine lubricants.

The presiding Judge, Justice Kolawole Omotoso remanded the suspect following his arraignment on a 7-count charge, bordering on producing substandard products and rebranding them for distribution to unsuspecting buyers.

This was contained in a statement issued by Head of Media, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Media Maji Aileku, on Tuesday.

“The suspect who pleaded not guilty, was however denied bail application made by the defence counsel and was ordered by the Judge to be remanded in custody until the next adjourned date, ‘’the statement said.

According to the statement, the SON’s Lead Prosecutor, Kuma Moor (Esq.), had argued that the accused has been on the run since 2018 and all attempts to apprehend him before now had proved futile, therefore the suspect should be denied bail as he may possibly jump bail based on his antecedents.

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The statement also revealed that the SON Sokoto State office and SON, Surveillance, Investigation and Monitoring (SIM) Unit in collaboration with the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) acting on intelligence report carried out a raid at the premises of Atiku Abubukar Gwandu November, last month.

The Statement continued, “in the process, the enforcement team found items used in the production of adulterated/ substandard engine oil with plastic containers labelled Ammasco and IBCON Engine oil”.

The sStatement revealed after initial tests, the products confiscated did not comply with the relevant Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS) for lubricants and therefore deemed substandard and not fit for use.

The statement also revealed that the lubricant in question failed to comply with SON’s Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) for locally manufactured products and both offenses are contrary to and punishable under section 26 (2) of the SON Act 14:2015.

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SON also alleged that “the accused engaged in the distribution of adulterated Ammasco and IBCON engine oil which materially changed the quality, substance, nature and efficacy of the engine oil, with the intent to sell same to purchasers, an offense punishable under section 1(18) of the miscellaneous offenses Act CAP M17 LFN 2005, amongst other charges”.

The statement added that the matter was then adjourned to January, 17^th, 2022 for hearing.