In a decisive move underscoring its growing resolve to safeguard public health and protect consumer rights, the National Consumer Protection Commission (NCPC) on Thursday 9 April 2026 supervised the destruction of a huge consignment of expired and unsafe goods confiscated from shops, stores and other business outlets across Freetown.
The destruction exercise took place at the Rokel Fire Training Ground, where officials of the Commission, supported by the National Fire Force, carried out a carefully controlled incineration process in the presence of representatives from several Civil Society Organizations and market stakeholders.
Items destroyed included large quantities of expired food products, canned goods, beverages, biscuits, dairy products, confectioneries and other consumer items seized during intensified market surveillance and inspection operations recently conducted across the Western Area.
Speaking during the exercise, Consumer Relations Manager of the NCPC, Bernadette Fullah, said the confiscated items posed serious health dangers to the public, particularly vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women, nursing mothers and the elderly.
She emphasized that many of the products had exceeded their shelf life by significant margins and were therefore unsafe for consumption or use.
According to her, the public destruction was deliberately carried out in an open and transparent manner to reassure citizens that the Commission remains uncompromising in enforcing consumer protection laws and removing hazardous products from the market.
She warned traders and shop owners against the continued sale of expired products, stressing that the Commission would intensify inspections and clamp down harder on violators.
Representatives of Civil Society Organizations who witnessed the exercise commended the Commission for what they described as a transparent and confidence-building enforcement action.
Speaking to journalists at the site, Sonny Rogers, Head of Consumer Watch, said the open destruction exercise demonstrates that regulatory institutions are becoming more proactive in protecting the public from exploitation and dangerous commercial practices.
He noted that the presence of civil society observers helps strengthen accountability and public trust, while sending a strong signal that expired products confiscated from the market will no longer find their way back into circulation.
Officials of the National Fire Force deployed fire tenders, safety barriers and trained personnel to supervise the burning process and ensure that the exercise was conducted safely without posing risks to nearby communities or the environment.
Assistant Fire Chief, Mohamed Sannoh , explained that the Fire Force’s role in such operations is an extension of its broader public safety mandate, noting that the safe disposal of dangerous consumer goods is critical to both environmental protection and public health.
The latest destruction exercise forms part of the NCPC’s sustained enforcement campaign under the Consumer Protection Act 2020, which empowers the Commission to inspect markets, seize harmful goods, sanction violators and educate consumers on their rights.
Over the past year, the Commission has stepped up raids on shops, supermarkets, warehouses and street trading points, leading to the seizure of significant quantities of expired and counterfeit products.
Many residents across Freetown welcomed the development, describing it as a timely intervention amid growing concerns over the circulation of expired food items in markets and neighborhood shops.
A trader at Big Market, Aminata Conteh, said the action gives ordinary consumers renewed confidence, especially parents who often worry about unknowingly purchasing unsafe food products for their families.
She said many buyers do not always remember to check expiry dates before making purchases, making regulatory oversight extremely important.
Bernadette Fullah also used the opportunity to urge consumers to become more vigilant by checking expiry dates, packaging integrity and product labels before making purchases.
She further encouraged the public to promptly report suspicious, expired or unwholesome goods through the Commission’s hotline and its expanding network of community and market monitors.
The NCPC further reminded traders that repeat violations could attract stiffer administrative penalties, including fines, closure of business premises and possible prosecution.
The Commission maintained that while it remains supportive of legitimate business growth, it will not tolerate practices that endanger the health and wellbeing of Sierra Leonean consumers.
As the final batches of confiscated goods were reduced to ashes under the watch of regulators, firefighters and civil society observers, the operation sent a clear and unmistakable message that consumer protection enforcement in Sierra Leone is becoming more visible, more transparent and more uncompromising.
