Two Importers Remanded In Prison For Alleged Forging Of SON Import Documents

From right: The accused (1st and 3rd persons) leaving Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department, Alagbon to the Court, Lagos.

An Igbosere Magistrate Court sitting in Lagos and presided by Chief Magistrate O.A. Oshin, has ordered two importers to be remanded in prison for alleged forging of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) import documents with intent of using it to bring in suspected substandard Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders.

The two suspects, Emmanuel Anthony Nnan and John Paul Ejike, were remanded in prison custody, pending their arraignment at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos.

According to the SON Prosecutor, Adeleke Olofindare, the suspects were apprehended when they presented forged product registration certificate with the signature of a former SON chief Executive to the organisation’s officials at No. 3 Burma Road Apapa for importation of containers of suspected substandard LPG cylinders.

They were promptly arrested and handed over to the Police for further interrogation.

The prosecution thus applied for a detention order before Chief Magistrate O.A. Oshin of the Igbosere Magistrate Court pending their arraignment which was granted.

The charge against the accused read in part: “That you Emmanuel Anthony Nnan of Plot 18 32D, House 1, Close 3rd Avenue, Festac Town Lagos; John Paul Ejike of 50 Bornu Crescent Apapa, Lagos and Star Master Electrical Co. Ltd of 2 Royal Plaza, Alaba Market, Ojo Lagos respectively, on or about 24th April, 2019 while at SON office No. 3 Burma Road, Apapa within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court presented document in writing knowing same to be false with intent that the false documents will be used as genuine and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 465 and 516 of the Criminal Code Act Cap C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

“That you Emmanuel Anthony Nnan of Plot 18 32D, House 1, Close 3rd Avenue, Festac Town Lagos; John Paul Ejike of 50 Bornu Crescent Apapa, Lagos and Star Master Electrical Co. Ltd of 2 Royal Plaza, Alaba Market, Ojo Lagos respectively, on or about 24th April, 2019 while at SON office No. 3 Burma Road, Apapa within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did forged SON product registration certificate with intention of causing same to be believed to have been issued by SON and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 465 and punishable under Section 467 of the Criminal Code Act Cap C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

“That you Emmanuel Anthony Nnan of Plot 18 32D, House 1, Close 3rd Avenue, Festac Town Lagos; John Paul Ejike of 50 Bornu Crescent Apapa, Lagos and Star Master Electrical Co. Ltd of 2 Royal Plaza, Alaba Market, Ojo Lagos respectively, on or about 24th April, 2019 while at SON office No. 3 Burma Road, Apapa within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did fail to comply with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria’s Conformity Assessment Scheme (SONCAP) to wit; importing Gas Cylinders , Dealing in and having in possession product not having the requisite SONCAP Certificate and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 31 (2) of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria Act 2015.

It will be recalled that the SON Chief Executive, Osita Aboloma Esq. earlier in the year admonished stakeholders in import and manufacturing businesses to comply strictly with the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) for locally manufactured products and the  offshore Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP) for imports, reiterating the organisation’s determination to prosecute all standards infractions.