SON Bursts Syndicate Adulterating Lubricants in Lagos

Sunday Okobi

A team of the Surveillance, Investigation and Monitoring (SIM) unit of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has uncovered a lubricant adulterating syndicate at a residential building in the Alaba International Market area of Lagos State.

The sting operation team swooped on the location and arrested the prime suspect, Mr. Chizoba Emmanuel, who was found in the premises with various items suspected to be drums of base oil and an empty drums used for mixing and repackaging of the substandard lubricants.

Speaking to journalists at the scene yesterday, the Director-General of SON, Mr. Farouk Salim, who was represented by the Coordinator of the SIM Unit, Mr. Suleiman Isa, described the discovery as shocking, stating that it is indeed a wake-up call for Nigerians and particularly the organisation that there is still work to be done.

Salim said: “Despite SON’s several arrests in the past, deviant Nigerians still persist in the act of adulterating engine oil and selling same to unsuspecting Nigerians, which has destroyed machinery and engines.

“The SON will not relent in the ongoing fight against unscrupulous elements that persist in defrauding unsuspecting Nigerians through their dubious acts.”

The SON boss, however, advised importers and local manufacturers to always do the right thing by upholding standards in all their undertakings, adding that it would ensure a vibrant economy by strengthening of businesses as they adhere to international best practices.

Salim further assured the public that the organisation would continue to intensify efforts to apprehend criminals perpetuating such acts through discreet information gathering and arrests that would go a long way in ensuring that the country is ridded of substandard products.

He, therefore, called on Nigerians to come up with useful information to support the battle against substandard products by reporting to SON any unwholesome practice in the manufacturing of products.

The SIM team carried out the operation alongside men of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Nigerian Police Force, who apprehended the suspects caught in possession of used lubricant plastics, several cartons of two popular brands of engine oil and a repackaging machine. The culprits are currently under arrest until further investigations are concluded.