By Ikeugonna Eleke
About 201, 600 tins of fake Kiwi Shoe Polish worth over N42million have been destroyed in Awka, Anambra State.
The fake shoe polish were intercepted in a warehouse in Onitsha by undisclosed importers who had ordered them from abroad for sale to unsuspecting members of the public.
The products which were contained in three trucks were later destroyed by burning after a Federal High Court in Awka, presided over by Justice Bature Gafai, granted ordered for their destruction by burning.
Gafai, in the order, directed that the products be burnt in the presence a court bailiff, police officers, officials of the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) and members of the media.
Speaking after the destruction of the product, Counsel to Asco Nigeria Limited which owns the Franchise to import original Kiwi Polish, Barr Tagbo Anaeto, said the destruction was to serve as a deterrent to others in the illegal business.
‘The court had also slammed punitive actions against the illegal importers which include the seizure of their property, cost of damages to the tune of N2 million which was paid to the courts, as well as the public destruction of the counterfeit goods,’ he said.
Acknowledging a significant reduction in the faking of the product, Barr Anaeto said it was an ongoing exercise and would be sustained until the markets were rid of fake Kiwi products.
The Managing Director of Asco Nigeria Limited, Mr Sam Anyanwutaku, commended the judiciary for the judgement, which, he noted, would help end the efforts at economic sabotage by the illegal importers.
