The Federal High Court in Awka, Anambra State, has fined a woman identified as Celestine Obama for allegedly faking a popular soap.
The court presided over by Justice I.N. Oweibo, granted the Onitsha-based market woman bail in the sum of N500,000.
Oba was dragged before the court by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control on a two counts of faking and selling the brand of soap at God’s Mercy and Miracle line, Ogbaru main market, Onitsha, Anambra State.
The charge read, “The accused who resides at No. 5, Ugochukwu Lane, Nkpor near Onitsha on or about the 25th day of October 2017 at God’s Mercy Line, Ogbaru Main Market did sell cosmetics to writ, Eva soap without registration number and thereby committed an offence contrary to section1 (1) of the Food, Drugs and related Products (Registration) Act CAP F. 33 LFN 2004 which is punishable under section 6 (1) (a) of the same Act.”
“The accused under same date and place did sell to writ , Eva Soap in a manner that is false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 5 (a) of food and drugs at CAP F32 LFN 2004 and punishable under section 17 of the same Act.”
Oba however pleaded not guilty and was granted bail by the trial Judge, Justice I. N. Oweibo in the sum of N500,000.
Justice Oweibo said Oba would be in the custody of her lawyer, Amaka Ezeno, pending when she would perfect her bail conditions while the matter was adjourned till December 13, 2017 for further hearing.
Before the bail was granted, the counsel for the defendant, Ezeno, had argued that her client was wrongly charged.
Ezeno contended that ‘soap’ was not in contemplation under food, drug and cosmetic law as charged.
She asked the court to strike out the case for lack of jurisdiction.
But Justice Oweibo, who was not persuaded by Ezeno’s argument, said the counsel’s submission was a subject of proof and evidence, insisting that the court would not stop hearing the case at that stage based on that submission.
Speaking with Southern City News, counsel for the Federal Government of Nigeria and NAFDAC, A.J. Washington while warning against the influx of fake and substandard products in various markets in the country, said Eva care soap was manufactured solely by Evans Industries Limited, Ikeja, Lagos.
He warned the public to beware of all cloned and unregistered products.
Source: ( Punch Newspaper)
