The Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umar Bago has banned mass purchase of foods in the state’s local markets by traders from other states in the country.
The governor gave this order while reacting to a massive protest that rocked the state capital in Minna, the state capital against the rising inflation and current economic hardships in Nigeria.
Speaking in a video uploaded seen on X (formerly Twitter), the governor claimed that the protest was caused by a piece of wrong information claiming that the government was planning to hoard some food palliatives in the state despite the severe hunger people were facing.
He said, “On your way en route Lagos to Abuja, a lot of trucks going to the north will pass through either Minna or Lambata, through Sarki Pawa to cut short the high cost of fuel.
These people had gone to inform the people (masses) of food coming in for keeps by the government. So they intimated these people (masses) that there was food, truckloads of foods coming to Minna. And it is going to go straight to some stores for sharing to you and that agitated the power.
“Trucks who come to park or buy foodstuff from our villagers in bulk should be halted for now. We have stopped mass purchase from our local markets, in all our local government from now until further notice.
Anybody found doing that, we have given security agencies to go ahead to confiscate those trucks and share the foods to the people.”
Videos on Monday had shown how the protesters blocked major roads as they lamented that there was no government efforts to arrest the situation of the rising cost of food items.
The protesters were heard chanting protest songs, while security agents including policemen looked on.
Watch video here: