The Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) arraigned two traders before the Federal High Court in Lagos over allegations of collaborating to produce counterfeit X-pression hair attachments.
The two traders, Ike Afam and Onyechi Steve, who appeared in court on Wednesday before Justice Friday Ogazi, were accused of engaging in repackaging, trading, and having in their possession the allegedly fake hair attachments.
During the court proceedings, the prosecutor, Yusuf Lawan, detailed that the traders, conducting business at Balogun Market on Lagos Island, were apprehended with the counterfeit ‘Rich Braid’ brand of X-pression hair attachments on December 2, 2022.
Yusuf, an Assistant Chief State Counsel in the Federal Ministry of Justice, asserted that the two individuals affixed a ‘false’ trademark to the X-pression hair attachments (Rich Braid), intending to mislead purchasers into believing that the products were authentic.
The prosecutor emphasized that the accused actions were not only deceptive but had the potential to create a false impression regarding the nature and quality of the X-pression hair attachments.
Furthermore, Yusuf highlighted that the alleged offenses contravened various sections of the law, including the Criminal Code Act, the Miscellaneous Offences Act, and the Trade Malpractices (Miscellaneous Offences) Act, making them punishable under the applicable laws.
Following their plea of not guilty, Yusuf requested the court to set a trial date and sought the remand of the defendants in the Ikoyi Custodial Center until the conclusion of the trial.
In their defense, lawyers Friday Inoegbunan and Eze Okoli informed the court that their clients had received the charge sheet on short notice, leading to a delay in filing their bail applications. They requested a brief adjournment to prepare the necessary documentation.
Subsequently, Justice Ogazi scheduled the next hearing for the following day to consider the defendants’ bail applications and ordered their remand in prison custody until then.
