The Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) on?Thursday arrested one Lanre Baiyewu, 38, for allegedly adulterating?gins for sale in the Totoro area of Abeokuta, Ogun.
A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who witnessed the operation, reports that bottles, labels and covers of various alcoholic gins were discovered in the mushroom factory.
Mr Dimka Gambo, who led SON team to the operation, told NAN that the organisation got hint of the nefarious activities of the suspect and succeeded in tracking him down at the factory after a tip-off.
?“This has been going on for quite a while and we have been doing?intelligence gathering and monitoring?the suspect before this operation.
“We must thank officials of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in Abeokuta for?supporting this operation.
?“This is what we have been advocating for; a lot can be achieved through inter-agencies cooperation and?understanding,’’ he said.
Gambosaid that adulteration or imitating other people’s products could collapse the economy.
?He said that it was necessary for people to help in the fight against fake, imitation and sub-standard products.
While charging Nigerians to report suspected adulterated products and their factory base to the agency, the team leader assured that identity of volunteer informants would be protected.
He said that the suspect would be charged to court as soon as investigation was concluded, noting that SON did not have powers to hold any suspect for too long.
Also speaking, the coordinator of ICPC in Ogun, Mr Idris Abu, said that the arrest of Baiyewu would serve as a deterrent to others who engaged in the “inhuman act.’’
He appealed to people to volunteer information to enable the agency tackle the menace of fake and adulteration of products.
Meanwhile, the suspect, who confessed to the crime, said that he engaged in the act to earn a?living.
He added that he relocated to the state capital from Ota, because NAFDAC and SON were trailing him.
?“I had no parents and surviving?is very difficult.
“A friend, who is now late, thought me how to make a gin and print labels of recognised companies to market the adulterated product.
“He (his deceased friend) said it is only by putting those labels that?people can?patronise us, so, that is how I started producing about five years ago,’’ he confessed. (NAN)