Witness Tells Court How Businessman Who Cloned SON Logo was Caught

A prosecution witness, Aladewusi Oluwadare, has told a Federal High Court in Lagos, how 147 cartons of NSNOWS Gas Refrigerants with cloned Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) logos, were allegedly found in the possession of the Managing Director of Agastorm Ltd, Nonso Udoye.

Oluwadare, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), told Justice Saliu Saidu, that a SON patrol team discovered the products in Agastorm’s warehouse at Ebute-Meta, Lagos.

Udoye, of 36, Ayara Street, Surulere, Lagos, is standing trial on a 15-count charge of forgery and counterfeiting, following his arraignment by the SON on February 25.

The Defendant has been on remand, following his inability to perfect his bail terms.

At the court proceedings last week, Oluwadare, who was led in evidence by SON’s counsel, Amaka Allen-Ngbale, told the court that he was part of a five-man team that investigated the case, following a petition by SON Director-General to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).

“It was stated in the petition that, on December 7, 2017, during a patrol by a SON patrol unit, they intercepted a warehouse at No. 137, Bornu Street, Ebute-Metta, belonging to the Defendant. On inspection of the goods inside the warehouse, they discovered cartons of NSNOWS Gas Refrigerants and Cylinders with unauthorised SON seals. So they locked up the warehouse”, the witness said.

According to the witness, following his arrest, Udoye took the police investigative team to another warehouse, where another product, Chap Gas Refrigerant Cylinder, was discovered.

The witness testified that, SON told the police team that it did not authorise the use of its seal on the products.

According to the charge, Udoye allegedly “made an impression of a production registration counterfeit seal, knowing the seal to be counterfeit, of the SON on 147 cartons of NSNOWS Gas Refrigerants of 12 cylinders each stored at the warehouse.

The court also heard that he imported “1441 cartons of Regfrigerant Gas that did not comply with any industrial standard”, among others.

The alleged offences contravene Sections 465, 467, 467(4)(v) and 468 of the Criminal Code Act, 2004 and Sections 26(2)(b) and 26(2)(b)(iii) of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria Act, 2015.

Following a brief cross-examination by Defence Counsel, Emmanuel Okoroafor, Justice Saidu adjourned the matter to May 18, for continuation of trial.