The Federal High Court in Abuja affirms that the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) can investigate consumer complaints involving the pricing of airline tickets. In a judgment delivered on June 29, 2026, Justice B.F.M. Nyako dismissed a lawsuit filed by Air Peace Limited that challenged the Commission’s right to probe alleged sharp increases in domestic airfares. The court holds that the FCCPC’s investigative powers under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 are separate from any power to regulate or fix prices.
Air Peace argued that the FCCPC could not inquire into pricing matters unless the President activated specific price-regulation provisions under the Act. Justice Nyako rejects this view, stating that requesting information as part of a fact-finding process does not amount to price control. The judgment also cites the Commission’s authority under relevant sections of the FCCPA, emphasizing that limiting investigations would restrict the agency’s ability to address consumer concerns.
The ruling follows an earlier April 2026 decision by another Federal High Court judge dismissing a related challenge by Air Peace to the FCCPC’s powers to investigate and issue summons.
