FCCPC Shuts Sahad Store In Abuja Over Exploitative Prices, May Be Sanctioned Over N100m

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), on Friday, sealed Sahad Store, a popular supermarket in the Garki area of Abuja.

The enforcement was led by the FCCPC Acting Executive Vice Chairman, Adamu Ahmed Abdullahi.

The action is coming barely 24 hours after President Bola Tinubu unveiled plans to tackle factors responsible for the current food crisis in the country.

The management of the supermarket was accused of shortchanging customers by charging prices other than the price tag at the shelves.

Briefing journalists on the sidelines of the event, Abdullahi said the commission’s preliminary investigation confirmed that the management of the supermarket was short changing customer.

He said the store would remain sealed until the completion of the Council’s investigation.

He said the violation of Sahad store negates the spirit of Section 115 (3) of the law which states that a consumer is not required to pay a price for any good or service higher than the one that’s on display.

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 N100m or even more and the directors of the company themselves are liable upon conviction payment of N10m 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.”