FCCPC raids Abuja market, seals shops over fake foreign rice brands

Officials of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) on Tuesday raided several shops in Utako Market, Abuja, sealing stores allegedly engaged in rebagging local rice as foreign brands.

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The operation was carried out with support from security operatives. It targeted retailers selling popular brands including Royal Stallion and Mama Gold, which, according to the commission, have not been officially imported into Nigeria for years.

“This raid is being carried out based on intelligence that there’s ongoing rebagging of local rice in foreign bags,” said Boladale Adeyinka, director of Surveillance and Investigation at the FCCPC.

She said the commission received reports from brand owners that their products are no longer in the Nigerian market.

Mrs Adeyinka said traders were exploiting consumer preference for imported rice by deceptively packaging local rice to appear foreign.

“Because of the appetite for foreign brands, the market cartels are now going about rebagging local rice and selling in foreign bags. That is exploitative and against consumer economic interest,” she said.

Many Nigerians prefer foreign rice, seeing it as cleaner and of higher quality. In contrast, locally milled rice is sometimes poorly processed or contains stones, yet it is not significantly cheaper—fueling the demand for imported alternatives, even when counterfeit.

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At least five large stores were sealed during the raid, with shop owners summoned to the commission’s headquarters for questioning. Mrs Adeyinka said due process would be followed and products found to violate consumer protection laws would be confiscated.

She warned that businesses found culpable risk penalties under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA).

“We have administrative penalties and fines under our law,” she said. “Those found guilty will face administrative sanctions to serve as a deterrent.”

The FCCPC cited intelligence from rights holders indicating that some of the brands being sold, including Mama Gold, ceased exports to Nigeria as far back as 2015.

“They are not imported. They are not from Thailand. In fact, for Mama Gold, all exports ceased as far back as 2015. This is 2025, and yet, as you heard from the testimony of a trader, he is aware that those sizes are no longer sold. That’s why we’re here,” Mrs Adeyinka said.

Under Section 125 of the FCCPA, businesses are prohibited from making false or deceptive claims about products. Section 138 further holds suppliers and distributors accountable for misleading representations about goods.

“We are not aware”

Some traders denied wrongdoing, insisting they were unaware sales of those brands of rice had been discontinued.

One shop owner said he sourced his stock from Kaduna and Kano. “If I knew those rice products were banned or are no longer in the market, I would not have bought it,” he said.

Igwenma Alex, secretary of the Utako Market Shop Ownership and Traders Association, claimed there had been no official communication informing traders that the sale of such brands now constituted a breach.

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“When something is banned, shouldn’t awareness be created for Nigerians? So that they know it’s now considered counterfeit?” he said. “Even when you ban something, it’s not just about the traders—you’re protecting the entire nation.”

Mrs Adeyinka said the commission would sustain its enforcement efforts and track supply chains behind the rebagging.

“We will follow the trail to identify those producing and branding local rice with foreign labels that no longer exist in the market,” she said.