Panda Supermarket, Jabi in Abuja has been shut down by Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) ‘in avoidance of Coronavirus’.
The FCCPC is the apex consumer protection agency in Nigeria. Coronavirus, a virus similar to the SARS pathogen has claimed 132 lives since emerging in a market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, and spread around the world.
Panda supermarket is one of the retail shops in Abuja, selling products like wines, pastries, baby products, drinks, seafoods among others.
The commission on its official Twitter handle, @fccpcnigeria, noted that it discovered seafood and animals imported illegally from China in the store. It also added that it discovered products with expired and irregular shelf life.
“UPDATE: FCCPC inspected Panda Supermarket; Jabi on credible reports that it discriminated & had a concealed area for Asian nationals.
“Allegation confirmed, seafood & animals imported illegally from China discovered. Store closed in abundance of caution considering Coronavirus.
“Products with expired & irregular shelf life were also discovered at Panda Supermarket, Jabi, Abuja yesterday. Regulatory activities to remove all offensive products from the Supermarket continues,” it posted on Twitter.
Earlier, The Herald reported that federal government assured Nigerians of its readiness to strengthening surveillance at five international airports in the country to prevent the spread of Coronavirus. The five international airports are in Enugu, Lagos, Rivers, Kano and the FCT.
The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, who disclosed this at a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja, said the government would also set up an inter-multisectoral committee to scale up surveillance and vigilance.
According to the minister, “the committee will help to scale up surveillance to detect suspicious cases and ensure containment.
“The committee shall comprise of critical stakeholders in the health, security, aviation and transport sectors and also include development partners, bearing in mind that air travellers are more likely carriers of the virus.”