By Patrick Idowu
In a dramatic enforcement sweep that rattled the Utako District Market in Abuja, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), on Tuesday shut down several shops for allegedly selling re-bagged local rice disguised as imported brands.
The Director of Surveillance and Investigations at FCCPC, Boladale Adeyinka, who led the operation, said the raid followed credible intelligence indicating that some traders were fraudulently packaging Nigerian-grown rice in foreign-branded bags and selling them at premium prices.
“This is not just deceitful, it is outright exploitation,” Adeyinka stated during the operation. “Local rice is being packaged as foreign to take advantage of consumers’ preference for imported brands that are no longer officially in circulation. This practice undermines consumer trust and economic interest.”
She explained that some of the brands being sold, including the once-popular Mama Gold, stopped exports as far back as 2015. Yet, traders continue to sell bags bearing the label as if they were freshly imported.
Adeyinka assured that the commission would trace the origin of the re-bagged products and take firm action against those behind the branding.
“We will confiscate the products and follow the trail to uncover those producing and branding them. This is a clear violation of the FCCP Act and offenders will face penalties.”
The sealed shops were found with numerous bags of suspected rebranded rice.
Five wholesale outlets were shut, and the owners have been summoned to the commission for further questioning.
While some traders pleaded ignorance, claiming they bought the rice from suppliers in Kaduna and Kano, others admitted they stocked the repackaged rice because of customer demand.
One of the shop owners, Emmanuel Nneji, expressed shock, saying he was unaware that the product was outdated.
“I did not know they stopped producing this rice years ago. If I had known, I would not have bought it,” he said, appealing for leniency.
Another trader, who declined to give his name, justified the sale of the fake brand due to its popularity.
“People ask for Stallion rice a lot. I even sell it for ₦18,000 per 10kg, not at the ₦25,000 or ₦28,000 others charge,” he said.
However, the Secretary of the Utako Market Traders Association, Alex Igwemma, criticized the FCCPC for not notifying the market leadership before the raid.
While acknowledging that traders should have been aware of the expired products, he urged them to be more cautious and ensure they stock only genuine goods.
The FCCPC has warned consumers to verify the authenticity of foreign rice and advised them to buy only from certified importers and distributors.
The commission says this is just the beginning of a nationwide crackdown to protect Nigerian consumers from deceptive trade practices that exploit economic vulnerabilities under the guise of food importation.
