The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has taken action against misleading pricing practices at Sahad Store, a well-known supermarket in the Garki area of Abuja.
The move follows President Bola Tinubu’s recent announcement of plans to address factors contributing to the nation’s food crisis.
The FCCPC Acting Executive Vice Chairman, Adamu Ahmed Abdullahi, led the enforcement operation, accusing the supermarket management of shortchanging customers by charging prices different from those displayed on the shelves.
Abdullahi revealed that the store would remain sealed until a thorough investigation is completed.
Briefing journalists, he said: “What we have found out that these people are doing is misleading pricing and lack of transparency in the pricing, which is against Section 115 (3) of the law that says a consumer is not required to pay a price for any good or service higher than the one that’s on display.”
“Section 155 states that any corporate person that contravenes is liable to a fine of 100 million naira or even more, and the directors of the company themselves are liable upon conviction payment of 10 million naira each or imprisonment of six months or both.
“What we have done today is to make sure that they comply with the law. We initially called them to come and defend themselves, but failed to show up. In the long run, they sent a lawyer whom we asked if he was familiar with the facts of the case.
He said he wasn’t. “To unseal the store, they have to make sure that they do what is required to be done.”
The information minister, Mohammed Idris, had recently disclosed that a committee would be set up to address hoarding issues in collaboration with state governors.
He said the move aims to ensure food availability, control prices, and eliminate practices that lead to unnecessary hardship for Nigerians.
Security agencies were instructed to coordinate with governors to combat the hoarding of essential commodities.