Residents of Kebbi State descended upon a government warehouse located in the Bayan Kara area of Birnin Kebbi, the state capital, on Saturday night, ransacking it of its food supplies.
Despite the presence of armed police and soldiers, the looters overwhelmed security forces and proceeded to loot essential food items.
This unsettling event mirrors similar occurrences in Abuja and Suleja, Niger State, playing up the economic strain exacerbated by the removal of petrol subsidies and the devaluation of the naira.
Muhammadu Gwadangwaji, Chairman of the Bayan Kara Market food vendors association, expressed dismay as the looting extended beyond government palliatives to private stores, with looters absconding with sacks of food items.
The presence of law enforcement failed to deter the chaos, as tear gas was reportedly hurled back at the police, enabling looters to continue their plunder.
Describing the incident as “unfortunate,” Ahmed Idris, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Nasir Idris, lamented the unprecedented nature of the attack.
He revealed that the looted food items were earmarked for distribution to the people by Dangote and constituted part of the state government’s efforts to alleviate hardship, with over N5 billion worth of assorted grains already distributed.