The Police in Kwara has explained reasons why security agents allowed residents to cart away food items after breaking into Ilorin Cargo Terminal warehouse where COVID-19 palliatives were stored on Friday.
The explanation was made by the Commissioner for Police in the state, Kayode Egbetokun, while responding to questions from journalists immediately after a news briefing on the recent riots which resulted in declaration of a 24-hour curfew by the state Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq in the late hours of Friday.
THE INFORMANT247 had earlier reported how hundreds of residents led by hoodlums broke into the warehouse at Ilorin Airport to loot COVID-19 palliatives meant for distribution to the less privileged.
Egbetokun explained that security agents made an attempt to repel the attack at the onset but were later directed to leave the residents to take away whatever they want in order to avert loss of lives.
He said, “Intelligence report was available to act on and we acted on it but, with what happened yesterday at Cargo Terminal, the people came in thousands and we initially repelled them but, we later got directive from authority that we should allow them to take whatever they want to take instead of causing violence that might lead to death of citizens, but unfortunately they took leniency of security officers for weakness.”
The police chief further confirmed the arrest of some miscreants who took part in burgling of private shops and public properties in Ilorin, Kwara state capital on Friday/Saturday morning, maintaining that the perpetrators will be brought to book immediately after investigation
