THE Lagos State Government has sealed two more supermarkets – Green Basket and TobbyEd, located at 35 and 40 Fola Agoro Street in the Shomolu area – for selling expired products.
The General Manager of the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA), Afolabi Solebo, a lawyer, said selling expired products contravened consumer rights law.
In a statement on Monday, April 3, Solebo said the expired products sold by the supermarkets include Tomi Apple Drinks, Nutriben Cereals, SMA Gold and Quick Oats, among others.
He explained that during its inspection of the supermarkets, the Monitoring and Enforcement team of the agency discovered that some of the products had expired since January 2023 yet were still being displayed for sale to unsuspecting consumers in violation of the Consumers’ Rights Protection Law of the state.
He urged people in the state to contact his organization about any outlet found selling expired or hazardous products to the public across the state by visiting the agency’s head office located at 2b, Soji Adepegba Close, Off Allen Avenue, Ikeja, or any of its Annex offices at Badagry Local Government Secretariat, Bariga LCDA Secretariat, Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA Secretariat and Ikorodu Local Government Secretariat.
He also advised the state residents to call 08092509777, 08124993895, 09064323154 or email lascopa@lagosstate.gov.ng or lascopa@gmail.com to report any individual or company that infringes on their rights.
The ICIR reports that sealing the two supermarkets followed a similar action by LASCOPA on March 29.
The agency shut down Chiffy Supermarket, located at 3 Oduduwa Crescent GRA, Ikeja, for selling expired toothpaste and other household products.
Solebo visited the supermarket following a tip-off from a consumer’s Facebook post alerting the agency and the general public on the sales of expired products.
“Upon arrival at the supermarket, Solebo disclosed that the toothpaste and other products found in the store had no price tags and were all expired. He added that some of the products displayed for sale at the supermarket were discovered to have expired several months ago while being sold to unsuspecting consumers,” the agency said.
Marcus bears the light, and he beams it everywhere. He's a good governance and decent society advocate. He's The ICIR Reporter of the Year 2022 and has been the organisation's News Editor since September 2023. Contact him via email @ mfatunmole@icirnigeria.org
They should seal “Ordony Supermarket ” in Omole Estate phase 2, (Otedola estate), Lagos too, they sell expired consumables, my own experience was soft drink, after they offered bad service. I got to where I was going and I discovered that the drink had expired even two weeks ago…
So when I complained to the cashier that sold it to me, he deniedyselling it to me, even though other things I bought there was with me and I didn’t complain about it.
The interesting thing is that someone else claimed to have been seeing expired products and consumables there , they have complained but they keep restocking the shop with those dangerous things, they mix them with the ones that are good and arrange the expired ones in front on their shelves and in their fridge.
The people who have cautioned them said that they have a way of bribing their way out of it anytime they are reported.