The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, on Friday, sealed Sahad Store, a popular supermarket in the Garki area of Abuja.
This came few hours after President Bola Tinubu ordered the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu to monitor warehouse, hoarding food across the nation,
It was gathered that the store was closed for lack of transparency in the way it is fixing prices for products.
Recall that President Tinubu’s led administration, in collaboration with state governors had, on Thursday, agreed to set up a committee to tackle the issue of hoarding of products in the country.
However, the Federal Government, today, accused the management of Sahad Store of shortchanging customers by charging prices other than the price tag on the shelves.
The enforcement team, led by FCCPC Acting Executive Vice Chairman, Adamu Ahmed Abdullahi.
While briefing journalists after sealing the store, Abdullahi stated that the commission’s preliminary investigation revealed that the management of the supermarket was short-changing customers.
The FCCPC noted that the store would remain sealed until the completion of further investigation.
READ MORE: “Monitor Warehouse Hoarding Food Across The Country” – Tinubu Charges IGP, NSA
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.”
