Uyo Rice City’s raid: Firm plans legal action against CPC

Following the Consumer Protection Council (CPC’s), seizure of 1500 bags of rice from Rice City, an Uyo-based rice retail outlet last week, the legal adviser of the firm has threatened institute legal action against the CPC.

Mr Victor Iyanam also demanded an unreserved apology from CPC and return of bags of rice seized from the warehouse with immediate effect.

Iyanam explained that the action of the CPC was contrary to fair trade, adding that CPC’s action had caused the organisation untold harms in its business dealing.

He noted that the organisation was instituting a legal proceeding against the Council for damages over the seizure of the goods worth N24,750,000.

Speaking in Uyo, Iyanam recalled that on Sunday, some men who claimed to come from CPC, Abuja, ransacked and destroyed rice stacked in bags and resting on strong wooden platforms as required by experience and best practices in the rice trade.

“At the end of the rampage, the men claiming to be from the CPC carted away 1500 bags of rice, mainly of the local variants. They came in three trucks; none was registered and can therefore not be identified. The place to which the bags of rice were carted remains unknown.

“We are dismayed that the conduct of the men of the CPC negates the courteous and humane manner the CPC was always expected to act. By the provision of Rules 10 and 11 of the Consumer Protection (Products and Services Monitoring and Registration) Regulations 2005, the CPC would be expected to issue some notice before moving against any marketer.

“Besides, carting away 1500 bags of rice with a market value of N24, 750,000 is excessive and unreasonable in the circumstance.

“This is therefore to call on the Nigeria Police, Akwa Ibom State Command to come to the aid of Rice City and to ensure the return of her products,” he said.

It was learnt that on Friday, officials of CPC including its Director General, Mr. Babatunde Irukera, seized over 1,000 bags of expired rice and arrested eight suspects in some of the areas the council visited.

Rice City was one of such outlets that CPC confiscated some bags of rice from.

Irukera, who then conducted journalists around some shops at Udoma Street by Etuk Street and Rice City along Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida Way, said the products that had been rebranded and sold to members of the public as fresh and genuine rice, were unfit for human consumption.