Hardship: Residents loot govt, private warehouses in Kebbi

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

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

They also looted a broken-down truck loaded with assorted grains meant for distribution in Birnin Kebbi.

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

This is amidst the cost of living crisis largely believed to have been caused by the petrol subsidy removal and the floating of the naira.

Speaking to our correspondent yesterday, the chairman of the food vendors association at Bayan Kara Market in Birnin Kebbi, Muhammadu Gwadangwaji, said some shops and warehouses of traders were also set on fire by some 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,” he said.

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.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Nafiu Abubakar, did not answer several phone calls by our correspondent seeking the command’s reaction to the incidents.