Residents of Kebbi state over the weekend engaged in widespread looting of both government and private-owned warehouses in the state. The hungry residents of the state targeted a government storage facility located in the Bayan Kara area, successfully overpowering the security forces on guard and carted away essential food items. The looters went on to attack private warehouses and retail stores, carting away food items.
A truck filled with a variety of grains, which had broken down and was intended for distribution within Birnin Kebbi, was also raided by the looters.
Chairman of the Bayan Kara Market food vendors association, Muhammadu Gwadangwaji, reported the severity of the situation, noting that the aggression of the youths was undeterred by security efforts, which included firing gunshots and deploying tear gas.
“They forced their way in and looted the government warehouse and some of our shops,” Gwadangwaji recounted. He further mentioned that several shops and warehouses were set ablaze by the marauders.
Confirming the incident, the Chief Press Secretary, Ahmed Idris, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Nasir Idris, condemned the attacks and said the attack is ‘’unfortunate” and unprecedented in Kebbi State.
“The hoodlums had earlier attacked the consignment of food items brought to the state for distribution to the people by Dangote before targeting the government warehouse,” he explained
Idris lamented the theft of foodstuffs, purchased by the state government for its citizens, totaling over N5 billion distributed across more than 200 trucks.
“It is unfortunate those who broke into the warehouse had gone there to steal what belongs to the people of the state,” he added, confirming that measures had been taken to secure the warehouses against future incidents.’’
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