A visa application centre in Nigeria’s capital, TLScontact, has been shut down and sealed by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) federal regulators following allegations that its staff physically assaulted government officials attempting to investigate consumer complaints.
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The FCCPC moved against the visa support services company after what officials described as repeated acts of obstruction and violence against personnel conducting lawful investigations.
The controversy began on March 25, 2025, when FCCPC officers delivered a letter to TLSContact’s Abuja office regarding a consumer complaint about unpaid visa processing services. According to the Director of the Surveillance and Investigation Department at FCCPC, Mrs. Boladale Adeyinka, what should have been a routine consumer protection matter quickly escalated.
“The officers of TLS, rather than receive the consumer complaint, 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,” Adeyinka alleged during a press interview at the scene.
The situation deteriorated further when FCCPC attempted to serve a formal summons on the company. Officials claim TLScontact staff not only assaulted FCCPC officers again but also attacked uniformed police officers providing security for the regulatory operation.
Following reports of the alleged assaults, FCCPC’s Executive Vice-Chairman, Mr. Tunji Bello, authorised the sealing of TLScontact’s premises for what the commission termed “conducting services that the Commission considers unlawful.”
The enforcement operation, monitored by Nairametrics, saw FCCPC officials, accompanied by police officers and other security operatives, order staff to vacate the building before sealing the office.
The underlying consumer complaint that triggered the investigation relates to “non-provision of services paid for; the services with respect to Visa processing,” according to Adeyinka.
During the enforcement action, a TLScontact official was required to sign a fresh summons in the presence of journalists. The formal summons, addressed to the Country Manager of TLScontact, A Teleperformance Company, demands that the company appear before the commission.
The document reads in part: “Pursuant to the authority of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission under Sections 32 and 33 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018 (FCCPA), you are hereby summoned to appear, produce, and provide all documents before the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission at 23 Jimmy Carter Street, Asokoro, Abuja, on or before 2 o’clock in the afternoon on Friday, June 20, 2025.”
The summons requires TLScontact to “testify, make depositions, and provide evidence in relation to failure to receive a letter of the Commission to investigate a complaint and obstruction of investigation or inquiry pursuant to Section 110 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018.”
The stakes are high for TLScontact. Under Section 33 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, failure to comply with a commission summons without sufficient cause carries severe penalties: imprisonment for up to three years, a fine of up to ₦20 million, or both.
The law is equally harsh on obstruction of commission proceedings. Any person who “willfully obstructs or interrupts the proceedings of the Commission” faces identical penalties under subsection 4 of the same section.
The TLScontact official present during the sealing did not address the media, leaving the company’s version of events unclear. The firm operates as a visa application centre, providing support services to Nigerians seeking to travel abroad.
The incident is an example of the growing assertiveness of Nigeria’s consumer protection regulators in enforcing compliance with federal laws. The FCCPC is beginning to use its enforcement powers to address consumer complaints across various sectors.
However, the allegations against TLScontact remain legally unproven. As with all regulatory actions, the claims represent the commission’s position and would require validation by appropriate courts or regulatory authorities if the matter proceeds to formal adjudication.
This is one of the cases that highlights the tension between regulatory oversight and business operations in Nigeria’s evolving consumer protection landscape, where companies face mounting pressure to comply with federal standards while serving a growing market of Nigerians seeking international travel services.
TLScontact now has until today, June 20, 2025, to respond to the commission’s summons or face potential criminal charges under federal consumer protection laws.
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