The Federal Government has filed
criminal charges against four Abuja supermarkets and their proprietors
for hiking the price of protective items for coronavirus.
The items are sanitizers, hand-wash liquids, disinfectants, facemasks and other disinfectants.
The complainant is the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection.
The defendants in the four separate
charges are H-Medix Pharmacy and Stores Ltd., Sandra Ejekwu and John
Oluwagbemiga; and Prince Ebeano Supermarket Ltd. and its Proprietor,
David Ojei.
Others are Bakan Gizo Pharmacy and
Stores Nigeria Ltd, Ray Opia and Luter Irene as well as Faxx Stores and
Trading Ltd, and Adogah Ahmed.
In the statement of claim, the FCCP said
the alleged offences violated section 125(1)(a) of the FCCP Act, 2018
and punishable under section 155 of the same Act.
The agency accused the supermarkets of
supplying hand sanitizers and surgical disposable face masks of various
existing brands to customers at a price that was manifestly unfair,
unreasonable and unjust.
It also accused the defendants of
disobeying without lawful excuse, the lawful orders and directives of
the commission against such practices.
The commission said it sent its
representatives to visit the supermarkets following complaints from
consumers through various social media.
No date has been fixed for hearing of the case.
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