Nigeria, April 16 -- Officials of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) on Tuesday raided several shops in Utako Market, Abuja, sealing stores allegedly engaged in rebagging local rice as foreign brands.

The operation was carried out with support from security operatives. It targeted retailers selling popular brands including Royal Stallion and Mama Gold, which, according to the commission, have not been officially imported into Nigeria for years.

"This raid is being carried out based on intelligence that there's ongoing rebagging of local rice in foreign bags," said Boladale Adeyinka, director of Surveillance and Investigation at the FCCPC.

She said the commission received reports from brand owners that th...