Mobile Phone Dealers Apprehend Alleged Faker

Efforts of the Phone & Allied Products Dealers Association (PAPDAN), the umbrella group of phone dealers in the country to rid Computer Village, Ikeja, Lagos of the menace of sub-standard and fake phones has paid off as the association’s task force apprehended an alleged Chinese citizen with over 10,000 sub standard phones.

PAPDAN taskforce traced and apprehended Mr. Lin Tian Huan, a Chinese national at No. 4 Cornerstone Estate, opposite Abiola Garden, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos .

Huan was suspected to be a member of the Chinese cartel responsible in flooding the computer Village with fake and substandard mobile phones passed off for notable brands in the market.

Upon questioning at the computer police post it was discovered that over 10, 000 pieces of different models of mobile phones products have been illegally imported into the country by Huan.

Mr. Iyke Nwosu, PAPDAN’s president said the association is committed to assist the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to eradicate the menace of substandard and fake products at the Computer Village.

While explaining the steps the association has taken to rid the market of counterfeit products, Nwosu explained that PAPDA N provided an office for SON officials for the establishment of a market desk.

Two staff of SON was subsequently deployed to operate from the office in order to mutually fight substandard products.

Besides, PAPDAN facilitated a joint trip for SON’s top management to China where they visited some phone factories and met with over 65 owners of phone factories to ensure that these factories no longer manufacture and import sub-standard phones into the Nigerian market.

Nwosu also explained that the association and all importers of mobile phones in Ikeja Computer Village market agreed that from July 1, 2014, all mobile phones that would be sold in Nigeria would be products that have been duly registered with SON.

These products must have brand name marks.  According to him, passed off mobile phones such as “Nokia and Samsung products will not be stocked and displayed in stores owned by PAPDAN’s members.”

In addition, the group agreed that all mobile phone brands sold in Nigeria market need to have a functional Service Centre, which would cater to “after sales services.” PAPDAN has, however, warned that all products that lack these requirements would be confiscated and destroyed by the “joint taskforce of the SON and PAPDAN.”

Nwosu also disclosed that its group partnership with the SON has led to the registration of over 30 phone brands in the market.

Some of the mobile phone brands that have passed SON’s comprehensive e-product registrations are Gowin, M’horse, Bontel, XGP, Tukaro, Q7, and Soloking.

Others are U-Boss, Oktec, Maxtel, BML, MBO, Teemur, Aus, Mi-phone, Opsson, and MTK. Admet, H-mobile, DXD, Teenic, Simba, Ucall, Treesky, and Gionee and Kenxinda are the others.