The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, has sealed the offices of PWAN Max Property and Business Solutions Limited at Sangotedo , along Lekki-Epe Express way, over its alleged failure to allocate 20 plots of land paid for by a consumer.
The Commission says the action follows repeated violations of its directives and compliance notices.
Leading the enforcement, the South West Zonal Coordinator of FCCPC, Dr. Olubunmi Otti,, said the action was carried out in line with the provisions of the FCCPC Act, 2018.
According to her, the affected developers had repeatedly failed to comply with regulatory directives issued by the Commission, despite being given adequate time to resolve complaints lodged by the subscriber.
Dr. Otti said the commission initiated an investigation and invited the company on two occasions, but the invitations were allegedly ignored.
She said the move prompted the issuance of a summons, after which the company reportedly agreed to allocate the plots and provide all necessary documentation by June 30, 2025 but however failed to fulfil the undertaking, leading to the issuance of a Compliance Notice as provided by law.
Dr. Otti stressed that despite being served the notice by the commission and given sufficient time to address the matter, the company failed to comply.
” They will have to refund the money and if they fail to refund money, the money the Law under Section 150 also empower us to persecute”. “The premises will remain sealed until the breach is fully remedied and a compliance certificate is issued””
Dr. Otti warned businesses against disregarding regulatory directives, noting that the law mandates enforcement where violations persist after compliance notices have been ignored.
She further advised consumers to carry out due diligence before entering into business transactions and to verify companies thoroughly before committing their funds.
“This is not only the complain, there are several other complain before the commission regarding investment and the non allocation of lands duly paid for by consumers. We urged all undertaking to take compliance notice seriously as the Law does not permit the commission to exercise discretion, once a clear violation persist after a notice has been ignored”
Two other victims at the sealing site, who have alleged to have paid some money and didn’t get their lands, shared their experiences.
” PWAN they collected my money that they will give me lone plot of and, so everything is Seven hundred Naira, then they later collected three hundred thousand Naira, making one million Naira, I have been coming here like three months, I did not see them, I want to collect my land.”
” 2018 or so, when PWAN was doing marketing here, the marketers came to our shop that we should come and buy land, that we can be paying installmentally, so at the long run when I saw how things were going I stopped paying for the land, I told them I am not longer interested, I want to collect the amount I have paid before, that’s why we are still here”
Meanwhile, all efforts to reach The PWAN owner and members of staff proved abortive, as they claimed to be on a five day fasting and prayers for the company.
Reporting By Eunice Olile