A five-man syndicate that specialize in selling adulterated water to banks and other companies in Lagos have been arrested by men of the Lagos State Rapid Response Squad. A statement by the police states that the suspects identified as Chukwuma Uzor, (48) and Ofonime Ikpe (44) and three of their accomplices were arrested at 3, Adesola Street, Ago-Palace Way, Okota in Lagos on Thursday October 22nd following a tip-off.
One of the suspects, Chukwuma Uzor, had worked with a registered water dispensing company but stopped working and decided to connive with some other men to start up a quack water bottling company using his former boss's brand name. His former boss, Sunday Nnaduaga, who gave the police the tip-off said:
"I just noticed that he just stopped coming to office and efforts to reach him via his mobile phones proved abortive as all his lines were switched off. Sometime ago, a friend of mine hinted me that he saw him distributing dispensable water to our customers mostly banks and other big companies in Lagos. Since that day I started to keep tab on him until I caught him red-handed selling produced water with several registered names in an unkempt environment. Afterwards, I hinted RRS team on patrol which led to the arrest of the two suspects".
He added that this criminal act has greatly affected his water business because customers have seized to come. While confessing to the crime, one of the prime suspects, Chukwuma, who hailed from Mbaise Local Government in Imo State, said
“I decided to use the brand name because it has a ready-made market. We had many customers particularly new generation banks that patronize us. Before now, I had worked as a marketer for him but he was paying me poorly despite all the huge sales I made for him. And, the only way to make my own sales was to use his brand name which is acceptable to many people". he stated.
His accomplice, Ofonime Ikpe, who also adulterated another brand of table water, said that he only accommodated him to produce the water in his factory.
"I made a big mistake for allowing him to be producing the water in my factory. I regret aiding and abetting him in committing this heinous crime. He paid me just token from profit he made from the sales".
The Commander of RRS, ACP Olatunji Disu revealed that the suspects were not only adulterating popular brands, they were also pouring untreated water in jars and sachets in an unwholesome manner as well as selling them to various companies such as banks and unsuspecting members of the public.
Hundreds of assorted brands of empty dispensable jars were among the items recovered from them.
The two suspects and other co-workers have been transferred to the State Investigation and Intelligent Bureau in Ikeja for further questioning and investigation.
