The Nation Newspaper

Tag: substandard tyres

  • Substandard tyres: Court adjourns trial of Chinese, Nigerian

    A Federal High Court in Lagos, on Thursday, further adjourned until June 20, the trial of two Chinese nationals, Tao Shen and Jing Yau, charged with importation of sub-standard tyres.

    Shen, 36, and Yau, 22, are charged alongside a Nigerian, Chinedu Madubuike and two companies, Sino Nig. Import and Export Ltd. and Nedeca International Ltd.

    The accused are standing trial on four counts bordering on importation of substandard products.

    The case which was earlier fixed for continuation of trial was stalled on Thursday, following the absence of Justice Mojisola Olatoregun who is said to be on official assignment.

    Trial will now resume on June 20.

    At the last adjourned date of Feb. 5, Mr Oluwafemi Olabisi from the law firm of Festus Keyamo, had announced appearance for the prosecution.

    He had informed the court that he was appearing as prosecutor for the first time in the case, since his chambers (Festus Keyamo and co) had just been briefed on the suit.

    The court had consequently adjourned the case for trial.

    The defendants were arraigned on March 20, 2018, and had each pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    The court had granted them bail in the sum of N10million each, with two sureties each in like sum, and had ordered the companies to submit a bond in the sum of N10million.

    According to the charge, the defendants committed the offences in February 2017, by conspiring to import tyres which did not meet the relevant Nigerian industrial standard.

    They are alleged to have stuffed various sizes of tyres into one, knowing same to be in a dangerous state, or being injurious to human life.

    The defendants are said to have imported the tyres which did not comply with the mandatory Nigerian standard, on account of their stuffing different sizes into one.

    According to prosecution, this made the tyres to be unfit for their purpose, as they failed to meet the relevant Nigerian industrial standard and likely to endanger human lives.

    The defendants were also alleged to have failed to furnish returns on the conditions of the imported tyres as required by law.

    The offences contravene the provisions of sections 320 and 510 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C38, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

    It also contravenes the provisions of sections 26 and 32 of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria Act, No 14, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

  • SON urges motorists to avoid substandard tyres

    THE Director General of Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mr Osita Aboloma, has cautioned motorists to desist from buying substandard tyres to prolong their life and enhance public health.

    Addressing a sensitisation workshop in Enugu, the SON chief noted that substandard tyres could also undermine legitimate tyre business and adversely affect national economy.

    Represented by the agency’s Regional Coordinator for the Southeast, Obi David, the SON chief added that the agency was concerned and had placed tyres under life endangering items in the course of pursuing its mandate.

    Aboloma said: “The use of tyres extend to all walks of life with no boundary and touches on most of our daily activities. Be you a student, market trader or in any profession you can think of, it is important and necessary that everybody and all stakeholders be aware of substandard tyre products.”

    He said from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) statistics, “between 2011 and 2015 alone, no fewer than 5,288 road crashes across the country were as a result of substandard or expired tyres”.

    The SON chief added: “Therefore, SON has stepped up its fight against this menace with sensitisation programmes like this, compliance monitoring and strict enforcement.”

    On intercepted substandard tyres on the road last year, Aboloma said: “SON intercepted one of the culprits’ trucks on the highway and tracked it. You can see the extent of danger that these people are posing to our people and our economy just because they want to make huge profits at the expense of the lives of Nigerians.

  • N5b ‘substandard’ tyres: Suspects’ trial adjourned

    • SON arraigns three for ‘substandard sugar importation’

    The Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed February 22 next year for commencement of trial in the case of two Chinese and a Nigerian, who allegedly imported sub-standard tyres worth N5billion.

    The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) charged Taolung Shen (36) and Xu Jimg Yao (22) with four-count charge of importing sub-standard tyres.

    They were arraigned on March 20 along with Chinedu Madubuike and two companies – Sino Nigeria Import and Export Ltd and Nedeca International Limited.

    The complainant – Federal Republic of Nigeria – accused them of conspiring to import tyres that did not meet the relevant industrial standards, saying they stuffed various sizes of tyres into one, which made them unfit for use.

    The alleged offence is contrary to Sections 320 (2)(b) and 518 (2) of the Criminal Code Act 2004. It also violates Section 26(2)(b)(iii) of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) Act No. 14, 2015 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004. According to the AGF, the alleged offence was committed in February in Lagos.

    The defendants were also accused of failing to furnish returns on the condition of the imported tyres as required by law, an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 32(1) of the SON Act.

    Madubuike, who was listed as the fifth defendant and said to be “very sick”, was arraigned in absentia.

    The defendants, who pleaded not guilty, are on bail.

    The case was stalled last Wednesday due to the absence of Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, who was said to be attending a conference in Abuja.

    Prosecuting counsel Babatunde  Alajogun said some of the adjournments were due to other engagements of the court.

    He said the first adjournment was due to absence of an interpreter, adding that one has since been found and was in court on the last two dates.

    “We will consider applying for accelerated hearing after further consultation. At the next adjourned date, we hope to open our case by calling our witnesses,” he said.

    Defence counsel, Victor Opara, said he had no complaints that the trial was yet to begin since the suspects were arraigned. “The case was adjourned because of judges’ seminar in Abuja. I won’t say the case has suffered too many adjournments. It’s a fresh case, and if you know the judge very well, she has little tolerance for lethargic disposition to matters by counsel,” Opara said.

    In another development, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has arraigned a Kebbi State-based businessman, Alhaji Modibo Akilu, for allegedly importing 560 bags of substandard sugar from Brazil through the Nigerian border with Niger/Benin Republic.

    The organisation also arraigned two traders at the Old Sokoto Market, Shittu Abdullahi and Tukur Sabaru, on  allegations of selling and possessing unfortified and substandard sugar.

    Akilu was arraigned on a four-count charge before Justice Simon Amobeda of the Federal High Court, sitting in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State.

    He was arrested in October after his truckload of sugar was impounded by SON officials at the Birnin-Kebbi Central Market. He pleaded not guilty. The case has been adjourned till December 7 for trial.

    Abdullahi and Sabaru were arraigned before Justice Saleh Idrissa of the Federal High Court sitting in Sokoto .

    Abdullahi was arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on sales and possession of 140 bags of unfortified and substandard sugar; Sabaru was charged with six counts bordering on sales of 868 bags of unfortified and substandard sugar.

    Prosecuting counsel, Mr Yusuf Lawal, said the alleged offences contravened the provisions of the Nigerian Industrial Standards for sugar.

    Lawal said the offences were committed on October 30, adding that the accused persons were apprehended by SON officials following information from well meaning Nigerians and sister security agencies.

    They pleaded not guilty to the charge. Their trial will begin on December 7.

     

  • SON confiscates substandard tyres worth N200m

    SON confiscates substandard tyres worth N200m

    A large consignment of substandard tyres valued at about N200 million has been impounded by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).
    Items in the two containers seized by the agency included stuffed tyres of various sizes as well as electrical parts with brand names such as Ekovison, Ovation, lanvigator  and Star tubes.
    The agency vowed to continue the campaign of ridding the country of substandard products.
    SON Director of Compliance Bede Obayi, who conducted reporters round the seized consignment at the organisation’s warehouse in Ogba, Lagos, said the seizure of the containers followed intelligence monitoring.
    He said stuffing of tyres automatically destroys the tyres on arrival and that allowing such products in the country amounted to giving Nigerians the tyres to destroy their lives.
    He said technically, stuffing unnecessarily expands the tyres or unduly compresses them, bend the wires round the tyre helms and create sharp points and making them vulnerable to bursts on slight contacts.
    Obayi said this should not be encouraged.
    “We have told Nigerians the new SON D-G has vowed there is no hiding place for those who deal in substandard products as they would be caught and their products confiscated. Today’s is an example,” he said.
    As much as five tyres were stuffed into one, with many of them already squeezed and weakened.
    Consumers might ignorantly take the tyres outward neat look to mean they were healthy.
    “Nothing here can be recouped. No need to test anything because the tyres have already been destroyed on arrival. You can imagine the amount that would be going into the drains due to the greed of some people,” Obayi said.
    He warned that SON Director-General Osita Aboloma was bent on checkmating the importation of substandard products.
    A second container unveiled contained electrical products suspected to be substandard products.
    Obayi promised that the agency would continue to comb the nooks and crannies of the country, fishing out suspect products.
    According to him, SON would examine the container to see whether it contained what was declared, as well as whether it comply with the requisite standards as prescribed by the law.
    On what the Federal Government was doing concerning China from which much of the substandard products were coming from, Obayi said the matter was being handled from the highest level of diplomacy.
    He was optimistic that the desired result would be achieved at the end of the day.