The long arm of the law closed in on a sprawling engine oil adulteration network on Friday as operatives of the Nigeria Police Force Zone 2 Command recorded a major breakthrough in the war against economic sabotage.
Acting on credible intelligence, the Command arrested a key suspect believed to be at the centre of a large-scale operation involving the production, importation and nationwide distribution of counterfeit engine oil.
The arrest, DSP Afolayan Gbenga said, followed a formal petition submitted to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2, alleging the cloning and adulteration of a registered engine oil brand for illicit profit.
Swiftly, the petition was referred to the Zonal Anti-Piracy Unit, whose detectives launched a discreet but aggressive investigation that soon uncovered a well-coordinated criminal supply chain.
At the heart of the scheme, investigators arrested Ngwu Samuel Ebezimakor, 26, who reportedly confessed to masterminding the operation and importing the fake lubricants from China before flooding Nigerian markets.
Intelligence-driven raids across Imo State, Enugu State, Kano State, Lagos State and Ogun State led to the recovery of 280 gallons of adulterated engine oil hidden in multiple locations.
The seized products were subjected to technical examination by the Standard Organisation of Nigeria, which confirmed that the items failed to meet required Nigerian Industrial Standards.
Police authorities described the operation as a significant blow to criminal syndicates undermining consumer safety and sabotaging legitimate businesses through substandard products.
Assistant Inspector General of Police, Adegoke M. Fayoade, reaffirmed the Command’s zero-tolerance stance on product adulteration, vowing sustained enforcement across Lagos and Ogun corridors.
He assured consumers and investors that Zone 2 would continue to protect lawful enterprise while ensuring that economic offenders are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Members of the public with credible information or complaints were urged to contact the Command through its dedicated emergency lines and verified social media platforms as the crackdown intensifies.