‘Looting warehouses bad omen for Nigeria’ – Stakeholders warn of looming danger

The worsening economic hardship and hunger ravaging the country has assumed a new twist, with stories of warehouses and trucks carrying food commodities getting looted in major cities across the country.

DAILY POST reports that the spate of looting of warehouses and trucks conveying food and raw materials by hoodlums skyrocketed within the last few days.

The recent disturbing occurrences happened between last Sunday and Monday, as residents of Idu-Karmo and Dei-Dei in the nation’s capital looted warehouses and trucks, carting away food items.

DAILY POST reported that some residents of Abuja attacked a warehouse belonging to the Agricultural and Rural Development Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, carting away rice, grains, and other relief items.

The warehouse is located in the Dei-Dei area of Abuja.

The above incident is different from an attempt by another group to loot a private warehouse in the Idu Industrial Estate, Jabi, Abuja.

The attempt was foiled by soldiers guarding the facility.

Similar incident took place in Dogarawa, a suburb of Zaria in Kaduna State, where residents were reported to have looted cartons of spaghetti from a parked truck belonging to BUA Company.

It was also reported that some youths stole food items from trucks stuck in traffic along the Kaduna Road in the Suleja area of Niger State last week.

Reacting to the development, the government said the recent looting of a warehouse in the Gwagwa-Tasha area by ‘hoodlums’ was beyond hunger, but a criminal act.

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister of State, Mariya Mahmoud, spoke at the end of her assessment visit to Gwagwa-Tasha to ascertain the level of damage to the warehouse.

Describing it as an unfortunate incident, the minister expressed disappointment over the attitude of the youths within the area.

She, however, assured that the administration would establish a police post in all government warehouses across the territory going forward.

“We are here due to the unfortunate incident that happened early hours of yesterday, where hoodlums attacked this very warehouse and packed everything that is here, including the fence.

“Not only the food items that are here, including the roofing, windows, and even the gates of this place and offices were all attacked.

“You can see the level of damage. There is nothing that is left here, including the types of machinery that are used for the processing of these things,” she lamented.

According to the Minister, the unfortunate incident occurred when the administration was restocking its warehouse to meet up with the directive of President Bola Tinubu to distribute palliatives to all the six area councils in FCT.

“We did distribution about twice. And then about to do the third one, these trucks were here to offload these food items, and then they were attacked, even injured some people on duty.

“This is really a bad situation. And it is not something that the administration will take lightly. All those that are involved must be brought to book. We have to do something.

“And also, this is a sign that we need to reinforce the security situation around all our warehouses because you just have to keep food.

“But the way this thing that happened actually is beyond hunger. This is a criminal act. Somebody who is hungry cannot move out to remove all the roofings that are here. All the doors, all the windows, and also the gates.

“This is not showing that we are good ambassadors of the nation. So definitely we are going to take action about this event that has happened,” Mahmoud said.

However, the Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, Sam Amadi said those who looted food warehouses in Abuja were not typical criminals, saying they needed to eat.

Amadi spoke on Tuesday while fielding questions on Arise Television’s programme.

According to him, the key issue was for the government to see it as a signal to deal with the situation of hunger, adding that the government cannot allow crime at the same time.

“This is regrettable. It’s bad optics. There’s hunger, there’s frustration. And at the same time, there’s criminality, so the government has to really think carefully.

“Fifteen persons were arrested, I don’t know, are you going to prosecute them as criminals? Are you going to see it as an unfortunate evidence of hopelessness?

“This is not just typical criminals, these are people justifying why they need to take this grain to eat from a public warehouse.

“I think the key issue here is to see it as a signal to deal with the question of hunger. But at the same time, the government cannot allow anarchy, this is crime. Anyone caught cannot play hunger as the justification.

“At the same time, the government should not see it as a typical crime where somebody goes to someone’s house to steal something.

“Look at the United States or Paris in France, when we have this kind of crisis, it’s both a protest and desperation intertwining. So, it’s also about law and order. A typical government will see law and order but a policy perspective will see hunger and desperation, and may be frustration and anger.

“But I think somehow, we should tread carefully not just to put them behind bars and prosecute them, but at the same time discourage criminality and anarchy.”

Similarly, a legal expert, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, described looting of a government warehouse in Abuja as a reflection of the frustration of the majority of Nigerians grappling under the economic policies of the President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Adegboruwa, who is also a senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), gave this view while featuring on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief programme on Monday.

He said it was a message to the President and his economic team that there was a need to rejig the system to guarantee the survival of the majority of Nigerians.

Adegboruwa cited the removal of petrol subsidy policy, noting it had impacted negatively on the people, leading to unemployment and high cost of living.

“Across all states in Nigeria, presently there is a crisis of survival from the part of the people.

“So, it is not just this particular occurrence, a truck bearing foodstuff was randomly attacked and looted. I do not support this in any way at all because we must have an environment where we can secure lives and property.

“But it is a reflection of the fact that the economic policies of the present administration are not helping the people of the country and of course these occurrences showcase the frustration that people are going through.

“You know what they say, that we pray that we don’t get to a position where the poor will rise up to be eating the rich. I think there is a message to the president and members of his economic team that there is a need to rejig the system in such a way that will allow for the survival of the majority of our people,” he stated.

On its part, the People’s Redemption Party, PRP, issued a stark warning about the potential slide into anarchy if urgent action was not taken to address the growing cost of living affecting the majority of Nigerians.

PRP delivered the warning in a statement by its Acting National Publicity Secretary, Muhammed Ishaq, on Monday.

According to the party, the looting incidents were a symptom of a larger problem that required a collective effort from all stakeholders, including industrialists and the business community, to address the root causes of such incidents and strive towards a more equitable society.

“The recent reports of looting of trucks carrying food items on our highways and cities are warning signals of the looming anarchy and turmoil which Nigeria faces in the foreseeable future if drastic measures are not taken to address the serious cost of living crisis facing the majority of Nigerian citizens.

“Yes, there is hunger and hardship in the land. Yes, there is poverty in the land, and the ruling elite has weaponized poverty, which has made citizens trade their votes for a pack or two of spaghetti as we saw in last year’s elections,” it said.

Also shocked by the twist the economic hardship has assumed, a former lawmaker and social critic, Senator Shehu Sani, said the development was a dangerous symptom of an impending revolution.

Sani urged for government action, stressing that it must be averted or contained.

“Masses looting foodstuffs from a government warehouse in our oil rich Nigeria is a dangerous symptom of an impending revolution that must be averted or contained,” he wrote on his X handle on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, says the Ministry will this week commence the distribution of 42,000 metric tons of grains across the 36 states of the federation, as approved by President Bola Tinubu.

Kyari said the Ministry was working with the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and the Department of State Service, DSS, to ensure the grains get to the right people in the right packages and quantities.

He made this known in a post on his X handle on Monday.

According to the minister, 58,500 metric tons of milled rice from mega rice millers will also be released into the market for stabilization.

“In these trying times, I extend my sincere compassion to those affected by the hardships in the country. I understand the gravity of the situation, especially with the unfortunate event of foodstuff warehouses looting.

“Amidst these challenges, I want to assure you that our commitment to your well-being remains resolute. We shall commence the distribution of 42,000 metric tons of grains, as approved by Mr. President, across the 36 states of the federation as one of the programs to be rolled-out this week.

“We are working hand in hand with NEMA and the DSS to ensure that the grains get to the right people in the right packages and quantities. Furthermore, 58,500 metric tons of milled rice from mega rice millers will also be released into the market for stabilization,” the minister said.

Speaking to DAILY POST in an interview, a security expert, Dr Kabir Adamu said his organization has continued to monitor public disenchantment with the socio-economic challenges triggered by the stress test on the economy and the scarcities that the current government policies have triggered.

Adamu, who is the Managing Director of Beacon Security and Intelligence LTD, said the recent removal of subsidies and fall in the currency’s value affected citizens’ livelihoods, creating emotional and physical strain and exposing individuals to economic shocks.

The security expert noted that private business owners, warehouses, and residential houses stood a chance of being robbed, while kidnapping for ransom, targeted attacks, and financial and other crimes could increase.

He added that it had been assessed as credible that the social upheaval could degenerate into bigger and more disruptive social issues, which could impact internal security and affect safety and security.

Adamu said: “The Beacon Security and Intelligence collection platforms continue to monitor public disenchantment with the socio-economic challenges triggered by the stress test on the economy and the scarcities that the current government policies have triggered.

“The disenchantment has often resulted in social upheaval in the form of public protests and social unrest. Most of the demonstrations so far have been peaceful; however, we have monitored some counter-protests and disruptions during the protests, which escalated to violence, altercations with security personnel, and arrests.

“The recent removal of subsidies and fall in the currency’s value affected citizens’ livelihoods, creating emotional and physical strain and exposing individuals to economic shocks, which they largely express through verbal and expressive outcries.

“These demonstrations, however, have the potential to escalate to violent actions such as looting, robbery, finger-pointing, destabilising the nation, and mob actions, and can create opportunities for criminals to perpetrate acts of violence, further endangering the economic and security landscape.

“Also, private business owners, warehouses, and residential houses stand a chance of being robbed, while kidnapping for ransom, targeted attacks, and financial and other crimes can increase.”

Speaking on what the government should do to remedy the situation, Adamu demanded strategic and adaptive approaches such as policy reforms, crisis response plans, and government intervention.

“It is assessed as credible that mitigating the effect of social upheaval demands strategic and adaptive approaches like policy reforms, crisis response plans, and government intervention, which are required to prevent the escalation of these demonstrations,” he added.

On his part, Comrade Onyebuchi Igboke, the Project Manager, Advocacy Partnership for Good Governance and Convener, Office of the Citizens, in an interview with DAILY POST expressed worry over the acute hardship in the country.

Igboke suggested that the government should intervene by finding practical solutions in order not to create bigger problems for the nation.

According to him, the government should deal with the real issue, which is providing security for the farmers, as well as incentives for them to go back to the farms.

He said: “Considering what’s happening in Nigeria, looking at the current hardship Nigerians are facing, as you can see, it’s no longer a story, we are facing hardship and hunger.

“It’s said that ‘a hungry man is an angry man’. Obviously, the situation is going to lead to an increase in social vices, including criminality.

“As has been observed recently concerning the looting of warehouses by some Nigerians, if the government doesn’t intervene and find practical solutions, it will create bigger problems for the nation.

“The whole idea is for the government to do what is expected of them. I’m worried. Why I am worried is that the last time President Bola Tinubu tried to intervene, calling for a meeting with the governors and his economic team, I said it was a good step in the right direction because they needed to give attention to the situation; it required an emergency response. However, I wasn’t satisfied with the outcome of that particular meeting.

“The state governors themselves have not delivered on any assignment or expectation entrusted to them.

“On the issue of food scarcity, the President ordered the DSS, NSA and the police to set up a taskforce committee to go after people hoarding food. What happens with the government dealing with the real issue, which is providing security for the farmers, as well as incentives to go back to the farms?

“The federal government should secure the farms so farmers can go back to farming. This will go a long way in addressing the current hunger in the land.”