Some persons believed to be hoodlums, on Saturday night, reportedly invaded a government warehouse at Bayan Kara area of Birnin Kebbi, capital of Kebbi State, 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.
They also looted a broken-down truck loaded with assorted grains meant for distribution in Birnin Kebbi.
Similar 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.
Chairman of the food vendors association at Bayan Kara Market in Birnin Kebbi, Muhammadu Gwadangwaji, said some shops and warehouses belonging to traders were also set ablaze 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.
Ahmed Idris, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Nasir 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 has secured its warehouses to prevent reoccurrence.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the State, Nafiu Abubakar, did not respond to inquiries made in respect of the incidents.
Meanwhile, the Bayelsa State governor, Douye Diri, has said that offering palliatives is not the solution to the hardship in the country.
Diri stated this during the Easter Sunday service at the St Peter’s Anglican Church in his community, Sampou, Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA.
He said while he is not against palliatives, he is more concerned with putting in place the right structures and systems to address the economic challenges.
Diri’s spokesman, Daniel Alabrah, quoted the governor as saying that his administration is initiating policies and programmes that would bring about long-term empowerment of the people of the state, rather than short-term palliatives.