The popular Utako Market in Abuja has been shut by the Federal Consumer and Protection Commission (FCCPC).

The development followed a tip-off that traders in the market re-bag and sell local rice as imported products. They were also alleged to be engaged in selling rebranded expired rice.

FCCPC Director, Surveillance and Investigation, Boladele Adeyinka, who led a team to the market,  said the commission would either prosecute or fine those found guilty.  

She assured that the commission would not only continue to remove expired products from markets but also visit the producers of the bags used by the traders for rebranding the foreign.

  Adeyinka said:  “We are here on intelligence that there are rebagging of local rice in foreign bags and then the issue of expired rice kept in stock since 2015 being sold in these markets, now we are in 2025.

“Because of the appetite for foreign brands, the market cartel are now going about rebagging local rice and selling in foreign bags. That is exploitative and against consumer economic interest. Mama gold rice stopped entering the Nigerian market in 2015 and these traders know.”

Utako Market Association Secretary, Igwemma Alex, said he was not aware of the alleged  ‘’atrocities’’   by traders in the market.

He added expressed surprise that the FCCPC did not notify the management of the market before embarking on the visit.

One of them,  Emmanuel Nneji,   said:  ”If there had been a publication that says that this particular product is no more in the market, I would not have bought it, because I do not want to buy goods and at the end of everything, I will lose it.

” What am begging is that even if they say I should make sure that I return it, that tomorrow they are coming, and they don’t want to find it, I will do it,” he said.