The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has seized substandard tyres worth about N600m at a warehouse located in a remote area in Ogun State.
The organisation also assured that unscrupulous importers of substandard goods will be prosecuted.
The Director-General, Mallam Farouk Salim, stated this during an enforcement exercise in Ogun State on Friday.
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He said the fight against substandard goods was best fought at the points of entry.
According to him, the seizure was not punitive but to ensure that the tyres did not find their way into the nation’s markets.
He explained that the tyres were stuffed in over 100 containers, noting that by that, the integrity of the tyres had been compromised.
Salim speaking to the Punch said, ‘’This is a very dangerous situation because people’s lives are at stake and our roads are not safe because of something like this.
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“We have no idea how these tyres got into this country; we are not at the ports and it did not come through us and they do not have papers with us that the goods have been cleared.
He said, “It is a very dangerous trend and this is why we are still emphasising that the best way to enforce it is to be at the point of entry.
“This is why about 100 containers slipped through the ports and ended up in the warehouse.”
According to the SON boss, those tyres with no economic value were like time bombs waiting to explode.
Speaking on the relationship between the SON and Customs, he urged for greater synergy among agencies as a way of combating the menace of substandard goods.
He said, ‘’Our message to importers is that we are coming for unscrupulous importers and we are not ready for compromise and we will prosecute.
“There is no way we can salvage these tyres so we are going to destroy them.
‘‘We have arrested the manager of the warehouse, but the owner of the product is a foreigner and happens to be outside of the country and we are sure he would come to explain himself and if he does not, we will just prosecute the manager and anybody involved in this property.’’
