On Tuesday, April 15, operatives of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) stormed the popular Utako Market in Abuja to uncover deceptive rebagging of locally produced rice as foreign brands....READ ORIGINAL & FULL CONTENT FROM SOURCE | READ ORIGINAL & FULL CONTENT FROM SOURCE...
The team led by Boladale Adeyinka, the Director of Surveillance and Investigation, FCCPC said the enforcement operation by the commission stemmed from complaints by residents and brand owners on the activities of some rice distributors in the country.
Some of the shops affected were found to be involved in the rebagging, marketing and sale of locally produced rice under popular brand names that have been out of circulation for nearly a decade, including Royal Stallion and Mama Gold.
The FCCPC also successfully sealed several shops in the said market and confiscated the counterfeit products
over these illicit act.
Speaking to journalists present during the raid, Adeyinka said “We received credible information indicating that certain rice brands, including Royal Stallion, are no longer available in the Nigerian market, she stated. Mrs. Adeyinka further explained that the persistent demand for foreign rice has created an avenue for unscrupulous traders to deceive consumers by rebagging local rice as imported varieties.
“Because of the demand for foreign rice, some market cartels have resorted to rebagging local rice and passing it off as imported. This is a clear case of deception,” she noted.
According to the commission, this particular raid is part of FCCPC’s intervention towards protecting Nigerians consumers from misleading and unfair trade practices.
The commission also said that it is committed to its mandate of ensuring transparency in Nigeria’s markets, sustaining surveillance and enforcement activities to safeguard consumer rights and uphold market integrity.