The Standards
Organisation of Nigeria (SON) last week docked three persons at the Federal
High Court sitting in Awka, over alleged fabrication and selling of substandard
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders.
The defendants – Jerry Azubuike, Patrick Ikechukwu and Cosmas Onwuka – were
arraigned before Justice Babatunde Quadri.
The prosecution counsel, Mr Moor Kuma, told the court that the defendants were
members of the United Welders Association in Anambra.
According to him, the defendants exposed for sale and use, substandard gas
cylinders of various sizes (3kg, 5kg, 6kg and 10kg) on 58, Bida Road, Onitsha,
on June 27, 2018.
Kuma said that the cylinders did not comply with the Nigerian Industrial
Standard (NIS) 69:2013, – the specification for refillable LPG cylinders.
The prosecution counsel said that the offences were punishable under
Section 26 (2) (i) and Section 31 (2) of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria
Act, 2015.
Kuma added that fabrication of substandard gas cylinders contravened Section 1
(18) (ii) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 2004.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the four-count charge brought
against them.
The judge granted the defendants bail in the sum of N1 million and
two sureties each.
He ordered that the sureties must be civil servants on Grade Level 12 and
above, adding that they should be resident within the court’s jurisdiction and
provide three years’ tax clearance.
He adjourned the case until June 19 for trial.
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