From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has sealed a visa support service and application centre in Abuja, TLS Contact A Teleperformance company, for alleged extortion and cheating of applicants.
The visa application centre located at Mukhtar El-Yakub Plaza, Central Area, Abuja, was sealed by a team of FCCPC enforcement officers yesterday.
Boladale Adeyinka, director, Surveillance and Investigations, FCCPC, who led the enforcement told journalists that the decision to seal the premises followed the inability of the management of the company to respond to several summons regarding alleged customer complaints about the services they offer.
She explained: “This is an enforcement operation against TLS. They provide visa support services to Nigerian consumers. There were a barrage of complaints relating to non-provision of services paid for. The services are with respect to visa processing. In response to that, we summoned them for further explanation but they never responded to several summons.
“On the 25th of March 2025, based on consumers’ complaint, a letter was served on them to address the consumers’ complaint as the process of amicable resolution of consumer complaints at the commission.
“The officers of TLS, rather than receive and act on the consumer complaints, proceeded to assault our officers who were conducting the lawful duty of protecting and implementing the provisions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act. Upon receipt of the report, the commission directed that they should be summoned in line with section 33 of the FCCPA.
“But rather than receive the summons of the commission, officers of TLS proceeded not only to assault our officers, but also assaulted uniformed police officers who were providing lawful security for the operations of the commission.
“Under sub-sections of 18, of the FCCPA, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Tunji Bello, directed that the premises be sealed for conducting services considered upon reasonable suspicion to be inimical to consumer welfare in Nigeria.
“He further directed that the Centre Manager, the Country Manager, and the Senior Officers managing the operations of the company, appear before the commission on Friday, 20th June 2025 on or before 2pm to testify and give evidence on why they will willfully obstruct the investigation processes of the commission and why the commission should not proceed to invoke the provisions of its enactment against such practices.
“For the purposes of public enlightenment. Section 30 highlighted the implication of refusal to receive the summons of the commission that is served on an individual or organisation to appear before it. This stipulates that any person who without sufficient cause fails or refuses to appear before the commission in compliance with a summons commits an offense, and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or fine not exceeding N20 million or both fine and imprisonment.
“Similarly, any person who willfully obstructs the proceedings of the commission commits an offense and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or fine not exceeding N20 million or both fine and imprisonment.
“The conducts of TLS and its officers contravene the provisions of the FCCPA. The property and the premises for which they are conducting businesses have been considered inimical, and their operations are suspended by the sealing of those offices.
“Sealing is not the last step of our enforcement processes. Sealing is to arrest further obstruction and continuation of services considered to be inimical to consumers.”
Meanwhile, the officials of the Visa application centre have been asked to report to the headquarters of FCCPC on today to answer several allegations against them before the premises could be considered for reopening.
Adeyinka directed that the Company would be liable for all losses and expenses encountered by visa applicants as a result of the enforcement.
However, management of the company refused to comment on the matter.