Hardship: Kebbi residents attack govt, private warehouses, cart away food items

Hardship: Kebbi residents attack govt, private warehouses, cart away food items

As the hardship in the country bites harder and the cost of living crisis worsens, the citizens are resorting to self-help and taking laws into their own hands to fend for themselves. Warehouses, trucks and private facilities housing food items have been attacked and looted in some parts of the country in recent weeks.

Attacks on warehouses had happened at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Suleja in Niger State, Oyo and Kwara.

The latest State to witness residents’ attack on facility housing food items is Kebbi.

Some residents of the north west State on Saturday night attacked a government warehouse at Bayan Kara area of Birnin Kebbi, the state capital, and carted away food items.

The hoodlums, who overpowered security operatives stationed at the warehouse, also broke into some private warehouses and shops in the area and stole food items.

They also looted a faulty truck laden with assorted grains meant for distribution in Birnin Kebbi.

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The Chairman of the food vendors association at Bayan Kara Market in Birnin Kebbi, Muhammadu Gwadangwaji, confirmed the incident.

He said some shops and warehouses of traders were also razed by some rampaging youths.

“They (security agents) fired gunshots and teargas into the air, but they (the youths) were not deterred. They forced their way in and looted the government warehouse and some of our shops,” Daily Trust quoted him as saying.

Reacting, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Nasir Idris,, Ahmed Idris, described the incident as “unfortunate”.

He stated: “The hoodlums had earlier attacked the consignment of food items that was brought to the state for distribution to the people by Dangote before going to the government warehouse to loot it.

“Such incident has never happened in Kebbi before. The food items they looted are part of the foodstuffs purchased by the state government for distribution to people of the state.

“Government has procured and distributed assorted grains worth over N5 billion in over 200 trucks. It is unfortunate those who broke into the warehouse had gone there to steal what belongs to people of the state”, he further decried.

He said the government had secured its warehouses to prevent reoccurrence.

Hardship: Kebbi residents attack govt, private warehouses, cart away food items