By Abdullahi Jalalludeen
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has sealed several retail outlets and warehouses in Kano for allegedly engaging in deceptive trade practices involving the sale of under-measured fabric materials to consumers.
The enforcement operation, which took place in various commercial clusters across the state, was led by the Commission’s Director of Surveillance and Investigations, Mrs Bolade Adeyinka.
Areas visited during the raid included Sharada, Gandun Albasa, and Ibrahim Taiwo Road, among others, where officials discovered that textiles were being sold below their stated measurements while consumers were charged full prices.
Adeyinka said the clampdown followed verified intelligence and weeks of discreet market surveillance, which revealed widespread manipulation of fabric lengths by some traders.
She explained that fabrics labeled as 10 yards were in some cases found to measure only nine yards, while others sold as five yards fell short of four-and-a-half yards.
Adeyinka noted that such acts violate Sections 123 and 125 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018, which prohibit false, misleading, or deceptive representation of goods and services to consumers.
She added that Sections 27 and 28 of the FCCPA empower the Commission to enter and search premises, as well as seize products and documents relevant to investigations into unfair market conduct.
According to her, the Executive Vice-Chairman of the Commission, Mr Tunji Bello, has ordered that the affected premises remain sealed pending the conclusion of further investigations. Samples of the suspected fabrics have also been confiscated for measurement and quality verification.
She stressed that the malpractice not only exploits consumers but also undermines healthy competition within the textile retail sector by putting law-abiding traders at a disadvantage.
Adeyinka urged consumers to remain vigilant, insist on transparency in transactions, and promptly report any suspected violations through the FCCPC’s official complaint channels.
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