According to a statement on Thursday, this was revealed during a recent visit by LASCOPA’s General Manager to the FCCPC headquarters in Abuja.

The acting Executive Vice Chairman of the FCCPC, Dr. Adamu Abdullahi, while welcoming the GM of LASCOPA, Afolabi Solebo, said the two agencies would soon embark on joint inspection of supermarkets, grocery stores and other trading outlets to ensure conformity with the consumer rights law.

He highlighted the necessity of collaboration to effectively safeguard the interests of consumers, particularly in the face of emerging challenges such as price gouging and other misleading practices being perpetrated on consumers.

He noted that Lagos, being the country’s bustling economic hub with a lot of industry and service providers, must feel the impact and presence of the commission.

“We have therefore agreed and planned that in the coming week, we will be coming to Lagos to have a joint enforcement, especially on issues of falsehood, misconception, and misleading practices in the formal and informal sectors of the economy,” Abdullahi said.

In his remarks, Solebo reiterated the commitment of both agencies to fully enforce consumer protection laws.

The planned joint enforcement operations in Lagos, according to Solebo, is a proactive approach to tackling issues like non-display of product prices and ensuring fair refund policies, among other consumer rights-related issues.

He noted that LASCOPA had been at the forefront of securing compensations for aggrieved consumers through the cooperation of the judiciary, saying that the successes recorded by the agency underscored the effectiveness of collaborative efforts in upholding consumer rights

This is in response to a viral report on social media where the author claimed to have witnessed a woman melt polythene, also known as rubber or nylons, into the hot oil used for frying plantain for sale to harden the chips.

According to a statement posted on the official X handle of the Lagos State Government late Tuesday, LASCOPA urged consumers to exercise caution when purchasing plantain chips to avoid health implications.

The statement read, “A statement issued by the Agency today stated that the advice was necessary given the viral online picture posted by an eye witness showing a “plantain chips” seller allegedly adding Polythene known as “Rubber” into the hot vegetable oil used for frying the plantain.

LASCOPA expresses deep concern about the health implications this may have on consumers.

“In light of this alarming discovery, the agency, therefore, advised all consumers to exercise caution and be vigilant about where they purchase their plantain chips in order not to ignorantly expose themselves to any harmful substances or preventable food poisoning.

The Agency is presently investigating this discovery and will take appropriate actions to protect consumers and hold accountable those responsible for the dangerous practice.

Meanwhile, members of the public are urged to assist in calling the attention of appropriate government agencies including LASCOPA to all unfriendly and unlawful practices among sellers of consumable items that can put the health of consumers at risk.

“LASCOPA is located at No 2B, Soji Adepegba Close off Allen Avenue Ikeja with Annex offices situated within Badagry Local Government Secretariat, Bariga LCDA, Ikorodu Local Government and Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA.

“The Agency can also be contacted via email at lascopa@lagosstate.gov.ng or lasgcopa@gmail.com or through the following phone numbers: 08124993885, 09064323154, and 08092509777.”