… As NSCDC arrests 191 alleged vandals in FCT in 8 months, over illegal LPG dealership***
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) on Thursday raided Yankura Market in Kano and sealed off shop and a warehouse where new and branded fertiliser bags with SON certification logo were being sold.
The Director-General of SON, Malam Faruk Salim, who led the exercise, said the raid was done to rid the nation of fake and substandard products that could be harmful to human lives.
Represented by the acting State Coordinator, Mr Murtala Sa’ad, he promised to make the exercise a regular one across the nation so as to stop persons selling fake products from circulating them.
Salim explained that the market shop and warehouse had to brand new fertiliser bags with SON certification logo which he said could be probably used for re-bagging of adulterated fertilisers.
According to him, 15,106 customised brands of Indorama fertiliser company bags and packaging materials where discovered and quarantined.
He said that the organisation was particularly worried about the presence of fake and adulterated fertilisers in Kano markets.
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He added that SON had engaged stakeholders in an effort to curb the menace of fake fertiliser in Kano markets.
He also restated the commitment of the organisation to rid the state and country of fake, unwholesome and substandard products.
Some dealers and distributors of fertilizer, who spoke to newsmen, appreciated the objectives and role of SON in ensuring products manufactured in Nigeria compete in quality with best brands anywhere in the world.
They also promised to cooperate and share intelligence with the organisation in order to rid the market of substandard fertilisers.
They also commended the efforts of the director-general of SON and the compliance team in their resolve toward ensuring that manufacturers adopted best practices.
The newsmen report that the exercise caught dealers of new and branded bags with SON certification logo unawares.
The officials of SON were accompanied by NSCDC personnel to seal off the shop and warehouse.
In another development, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, has arrested 191 alleged vandals and illegal Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) dealers within eight months.
FCT NSCDC Spokesperson, Miss Comfort Okomanyi, told the newsmen in Abuja on Thursday, that the figure represented those arrested from January to August.
“A Crime Record Statistics revealed that 19 suspects were arrested in January, 21 in February, 26 in March, 22 in April, 27 in May, 15 in June, 32 in July and 29 in August.
“The suspects were arrested at different areas in the territory for vandalism of critical national assets and infrastructure.
“Illegal dealings in petroleum products, dealings in adulterated petroleum products suspected to be diesel, theft, job racketeering amongst others.
“They were arrested at different locations in the FCT; Wuse zone 5, Area 10, Tungamaji, University of Abuja (Permanent Site), Apo, Trademore Estate amongst others,” she said.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) stated that those arrested were between the ages of 28 years and 44 years while 15 of those arrested had been prosecuted and seven convicted.
She further said that 22 cases were pending in courts due to the recent long national courts strike while 17 cases of those arrested had been transferred to the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
Okomanyi said that most of the suspects had been bailed and were no longer in the Corps’ custody but are to appear in court for their trial.
