The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), has sealed off the head office of Sahad supermarket/stores over alleged customer extortion and lack of transparency in prices.
The supermarket’s Garki Area 11 premises was sealed off and customers were barred from gaining access. Its store in Abuja’s Central Area however remained open.
Acting Executive Vice Chairman of FCCPC, Dr Adamu Abdullahi, who led the team on the exercise, on Friday, explained that the act was an obnoxious practice which amounted to violation of rights under the FCCP Act.
He said the practice, misleading pricing and lack of transparency in pricing, contravened Section 155 (3) of the FCCPA, which fine amounted to N100 million or more.
“It is an obnoxious practice and amounts to violation of rights under the FCCPA,” he stated.
Continuing, Abdullahi explained that “We found out that they are contravening this law and made sure that we came to tell them that our mandate is very clear.
“What we have come here today to do is to make sure that they complied with the law.
“We called them to defend themselves but they failed to show up and in the long run, they sent a lawyer and the lawyer is not familiar with the case but we requested for names of people that we wanted to come and defend them.
“Those people refused to come and these are the people in charge of retail, fixing prices on the computer system and shelves.
“We do not have a choice than to seal off the premises until they comply with the provisions of the law.”
He said the Commission would continue to monitor the supermarket to make sure they complied with the law.
Director Surveillance and Investigations Department of FCCPC, Boladale Adeyinka said that price tags on products on the shelves of the supermarket were different from prices at the pay point computers.
Adeyinka said that even the same products and brand had different prices.
“The same products, the same brand has different prices. One is N5,000 while one is N6,000.
“Imagine if you buy 10 pairs, that means you have been short-changed by N10,000. In this period, we want people to have maximum value for their money,” she said.
An official of Sahad Supermarket, Mr Salisu Zango, admitted that the store had engaged in the practice but had since made amends.
“We have corrected it,” he said.