A Magistrate Court sitting in Ogun State has jailed businessman Samson Okonkwo for selling counterfeit electrical cables bearing the name and trademark of Coleman Technical Industries Limited.
Okonkwo was sentenced on September 24, 2026, by Magistrate O.P. Mobee in a case involving the sale and possession of forged Coleman electrical wires and cables.
The businessman was sentenced to imprisonment with hard labour without an option of fine after the court found him guilty of the offences.
Okonkwo had been arraigned on April 10, 2025, on a four-count charge, including conspiracy to forge Coleman wires and cable products, unlawful possession of forged products and selling products bearing forged Coleman marks.
According to evidence presented before the court, 317 coils of electrical cables bearing Coleman wraps and labels were recovered from him.
The prosecution told the court that tests and physical comparisons established that the cables did not originate from Coleman Technical Industries Limited.
The court was also told that while the recovered cables were marked as 2kg products, one of the seized cables weighed only 1.2kg, compared with 2kg for a genuine cable obtained from the Coleman factory.
The prosecution further presented evidence showing differences in the copper content and other identifying features of the seized cables.
In his defence, Okonkwo said he had been trading in electrical items for about 20 years and had purchased the cables from Alaba Market. He also tendered receipts for the purchases.
The court, however, held that the prosecution had established the counterfeit nature of the products and that the defendant’s defence did not satisfactorily rebut the evidence against him.
While sentencing him, the court considered his status as a first-time offender, family man and breadwinner, but noted the potential dangers associated with counterfeit electrical cables, including electrical sparks, fires and electrocution.
The court consequently sentenced Okonkwo to jail with hard labour, without an option of fine.
The September 24, 2026 conviction has been described by Coleman Technical Industries Limited as a significant development in the fight against counterfeit electrical cables in Nigeria.
The company’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, George Onafowokan, said the conviction demonstrated that the production and sale of fake and adulterated cables could attract criminal consequences.
He also called for stronger enforcement against manufacturers and distributors of counterfeit and substandard cables, warning that such products could pose serious risks to lives and property.
