Residents of Kebbi State attacked a government warehouse in the Bayan Kara area of Birnin Kebbi, the state capital, on Saturday night, looting food items.
The latest incident in Kebbi State follows a similar event that happened earlier in Abuja and Suleja, Niger State. This looting spree could be attributed to challenging economic conditions stemming from the removal of petrol subsidies and the floating of the naira.
Chairman of the Bayan Kara Market food vendors association, Muhammadu Gwadangwaji, said the youth, after the government palliatives had been successfully looted, broke many stores belonging to his members and made away with sacks of food items, which he said for now are not quantifiable.
He lamented that the presence of armed police and soldiers didn’t stop the looting, as they returned tear gas to the police, who fired at them, and continued with the looting.
Expressing sadness over the incident, he said the youth also broke into chemical stores where pesticides were being sold.
Reacting to the incident, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Nasir Idris, Ahmed Idris, described it 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 added.
