BREAKING: Popular Abuja Supermarket Sealed By FG Over Deceptive Pricing

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) took action on Friday by sealing Sahad Store, a well-known supermarket located in the Garki area of Abuja.

According to the FCCPC, the store was sealed due to its lack of transparency in pricing products.

This development follows President Bola Tinubu’s recent announcement of plans to address factors contributing to the nationwide food crisis.

Following a meeting between President Tinubu, governors, heads of security agencies, and ministers at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, revealed that the Federal Government, in collaboration with state governors, has agreed to establish a committee to address the issue of product hoarding.

Idris accused some traders of hoarding food products and stated that security agencies have been instructed to work with governors to combat this practice.

“The National Security Adviser, the Director General of the State Services, and the Inspector General of Police have been tasked with coordinating efforts with state governors to address the issue of product hoarding,” Idris said.

“The nation needs food to be readily available to the people to control prices and ensure most Nigerians have access to food. However, some commodity traders are hoarding these goods, leading to suffering among Nigerians or inflated prices,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has accused Sahad Store’s management of deceiving customers by charging prices different from those displayed on shelves.

The enforcement team, led by FCCPC Acting Executive Vice Chairman, Adamu Ahmed Abdullahi, sealed the store after a preliminary investigation revealed deceptive pricing practices.

The FCCPC stated that the store would remain sealed pending further investigation, emphasizing that misleading pricing and lack of transparency violate Section 115 (3) of the law.

Section 155 stipulates severe penalties for corporate entities found to contravene these regulations, including fines of up to 100 million naira and potential imprisonment for directors.

Abdullahi emphasized that the store must comply with the law to be unsealed, noting that the management’s failure to appear before the commission necessitated the enforcement action.

Details of the case are expected to emerge as the investigation progresses.