Date: 2016-09-23

Security agencies in Nigeria have discovered and sealed a factory producing fake engine oil off in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State.

The discovery was made by the Kwara State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in conjunction with the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

According to officials of the agency, efforts of the two agencies to trace the buyers of the alleged fake engine oil led to the discovery of another location where adulterated petroleum products were being mixed.

The officials of the NSCDC led by their State Commandant, Pedro Ideba, were in Ogbondoroko in Asa Local Government Area of Kwara State accompanied by the state Operations Controller of DPR, Mr Phillips Salvation.

They were there to arrest the owner of the factory allegedly producing fake and unregistered engine oil. It is located in an environment that looks deceptive, without signposts to show any activity. It could be taken for a residential building.

The equipment being used to produce the unregistered engine oil litters the place while the drums for loading are packed at the backyard of the building. The suspect agreed of not being a trained person but claimed ignorance of the need to register the product.

Addressing reporters after the arrest, Mr Ideba said his men had been trailing the suspect for three months monitoring the activities at the factory before gaining access to the place where they produce only at night.

On his part the DPR boss in the state said the agency was not aware of the existence of the factory. He said the unregistered product could be harmful to the people, vehicles and engines.

After sealing the factory off, the suspects and some of the staff were arrested for further questioning.

In an effort to get to the main distributor of the engine oil product to stop its further distribution, the DPR and NSCDC proceeded to a popular shop at Offa Garage Road in Ilorin where they removed some cartons of the products.

They were, however, shocked to discover that the backyard of the shops was being used to mix various engine oil and repackage them.

Four trailer loads of petroleum products were seen offloading with many empty drums on the floor.

The owner of the apartment was later arrested together with the staff, but he claimed innocence, saying he only buys products and could not ascertain their genuineness.

Further investigation into the issue has started and the suspects will soon be charged, officials of the agencies said.