By our Reporter
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has shut down the TLS Visa Application Centre in Abuja following multiple consumer complaints and an alleged assault on enforcement officials.
According to Boladale Adeyinka, the FCCPC’s Director of Surveillance and Investigations, the action was prompted by reports from Nigerians who claimed they paid for visa services that were never provided. When FCCPC officers, accompanied by police, visited the centre to serve a summons, TLS officials allegedly attacked them.
“Instead of addressing the complaints, their staff assaulted FCCPC operatives who were lawfully enforcing consumer protection regulations,” Adeyinka stated.
She added that TLS had ignored repeated invitations to cooperate with the investigation, violating several provisions of the FCCPC Act. As a result, the Commission, under the directive of Executive Vice Chairman Babatunde Irukera, invoked Section 18(1)(f) of the Act to seal the facility.
Senior TLS officials, including the country and centre managers, have been summoned to appear before the Commission by 2 p.m. on Friday, June 20, 2025. Adeyinka warned that failure to comply could lead to penalties of up to three years in prison, a ₦20 million fine, or both.
“Under Section 33(4), anyone who willfully obstructs the Commission’s investigation is subject to the same penalties. TLS’s conduct clearly violates this provision,” she added.
The FCCPC is now calling on affected consumers to come forward with evidence and reaffirmed its commitment to protecting Nigerians from exploitative service providers.
