Says Overhyped Social Media Posts Amount To Deceptive Marketing
Revelation Comes Days After Change Of Management, Garden Allegedly Under Gov's Cousin And Dr Dre Fitness
By Veritas News Hub, Ilorin
A popular Lagos-based lawyer and content creator, Barrister Timi Agbaje, has publicly called out the management of the Kwara State Flower Garden for allegedly misleading the general public with overhyped and deceptive social media promotions that do not reflect the true state of the facility.
Timi Agbaje, known for his legal commentaries and social reviews on Facebook and TikTok, in one of his recent videos, shared and reacted to a viral clip posted by a lady who visited the Flower Garden and expressed deep disappointment over the poor state of the garden compared to the glossy pictures and videos being circulated online.
In the original video, the lady, who visited the facility for leisure and content creation, lamented that the garden she saw on Instagram and Facebook was completely different from what she met on ground. She accused both the management of the Flower Garden and the Kwara State Government of packaging false aesthetics to lure unsuspecting visitors and extort them.
Reacting to the lady's experience, Barr. Timi Agbaje did not only validate her claims but went further to break down the legal implications of such misleading marketing to the management.
According to him, what the Flower Garden is doing, if proven to be true, amounts to false representation, deceptive marketing and unfair trade practice, which are actionable under Nigerian consumer protection laws.
"What this lady experienced is what many Kwarans have been complaining about quietly. You see beautiful flowers, lush green grasses, exotic lights and fine ambience on social media. You pay gate fee, you pay for photoshoot, you go inside and meet dry, withered flowers, brown lawns and poor maintenance. That is misleading. And in law, misleading advertisement is not just immoral, it is illegal," Timi Agbaje stated.
He cited the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, FCCPA 2018, which prohibits false, misleading or deceptive representations to consumers, noting that any business that advertises a service or product that it cannot deliver as advertised is liable to be sanctioned, fined or sued for damages by aggrieved consumers.
"The law is clear. Section 123 of the FCCPA frowns at any undertaking that misleads consumers about the nature, quality and standard of its services. If you post pictures taken two years ago when the garden was newly commissioned and use it in 2026 to collect money from people, while the present state is a shadow of itself, you have misled the public. The lady can sue. Other visitors can sue. The FCCPC can come after you," he warned.
Barr. Agbaje advised the management to urgently update its online content to reflect the current reality, or shut down temporarily for proper renovation and replanting, rather than continuing to profit from old glory.
He stressed that his intervention was not to pull down a Kwara brand but to protect consumers and push for accountability and value for money.
The development is coming just few days after reports of a change in the management structure of the Flower Garden. Findings by Veritas News Hub revealed that the garden, which was previously under direct supervision of the state, is now allegedly under the management of one Mr. Bashir, who is said to be a cousin brother to the Kwara State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, in partnership with a popular fitness entrepreneur known as Dr Dre Fitness.
The alleged handover to private managers linked to the Governor has raised concerns among stakeholders about transparency, cronyism and the standard of maintenance, with many questioning whether the facility was handed to competent horticulturists or to political loyalists as patronage.
"How can you give a flower garden to a fitness trainer and a politician's relative to manage? What do they know about floriculture, landscaping and tourism management? This is the result. The place will suffer because it is not in professional hands," a tourism stakeholder who pleaded anonymity told Veritas News Hub.
Since the change of management, multiple visitors have complained about increased poor customer service, contrary to the premium experience promised online.
On social media, the video shared by Timi Agbaje has sparked massive debate. While many Kwarans commended him for speaking truth to power and using his legal knowledge to defend ordinary consumers, others accused him of trying to demarket a state asset.
One Facebook user, Fatimah Zahra, commented: "Barrister Timi has said the truth. I was there last Sallah. The place is not fine at all. But online, they will post filter and drone pictures. Na scam."
Timi Agbaje, however, maintained that he stands by the lady and all disappointed visitors, urging the management to do the needful before legal action is taken by consumers.
He called on the Kwara State Government, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Technology and the Consumer Protection Council in the state to inspect the facility and compel the managers to align their adverts with reality.
"If not properly looked into, the management risks lawsuits, regulatory sanctions and loss of public trust which is harder to regain. You cannot be using government affiliation to exploit Kwarans. The law does not respect cousin to Governor. The law respects the rights of the consumer," he added.
As at the time of filing this report, the management of the Kwara Flower Garden, Mr. Bashir and Dr Dre Fitness, are yet to release an official statement responding to the viral video and the legal warnings.
Efforts by Veritas News Hub to reach them for comments proved abortive.
The controversy continues to trend, with many now calling for a full audit of all state-owned recreational facilities concessioned to private individuals.
Long Click on below to watch the video;
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