Residents of Birnin Kebbi, the Kebbi State capital, have stormed some warehouses located at Kara market, along Sani Abacha bye-pass road and looted a trailer full of bags of rice and other warehouses located in the area.
During the looting galore,, shopowners along the Sani Abacha bye-pass, where the looting took place, hurriedly closed their shops due to the effects of the Police tear gas on Sunday while residents observed their Ramadan Prayers at the night along Oando area and Kara market area were forced to shorten their prayers for their safety.
As a result of the confrontation of hoodlums, the crowd with the security agencies, and many residents and shopowners closed their shops to avoid attacks by the hoodlums.
An eyewitness, Mallam Hussaini Dauda, who owns a shop opposite where the warehouses are located, informed the media on Monday that residents have been sighting trailers offloading bags of rice, maize and millets to the warehouse, which were said to be distributed to the people free of charge.
According to him, “We started seeing the crowd gathered since yesterday morning at the venue of the warehouses. Police were also deployed to the place and they used tear gas to dispatch them.
“Despite the efforts of the police, the crowd remained adamant. They refused to go. Thereafter, when two trailers arrived to offload the food items again, the crowd descended on the trucks and threw stones at the police officers who wanted to be a barrier. They forced the police officers to retreat.
“A trailer was able to escape, but the remaining trailer couldn’t move due to a faulty engine. Thereafter, the crowd climbed the trailers and all the bags of rice were looted,” he said.
Another trader along the Kara market, Jalani Idris told newsmen that the crowd despite the presence of the security agencies, stayed behind and looted warehouses where the food items were stockpiled including other stores owned by many businessmen where they stored their goods.
While reacting to the vandalisation, the Kebbi State government condemned the vandalization and stealing of food items by miscreants in Birnin-Kebbi.
Deputy Governor Umar Abubakar Tafida stated this after an emergency meeting with members of the State Executive Council and the Head of the Security agencies in the state.
According to the statement by Mr. Ibrahim Adamu Argungu, SSA Media and Publicity to the Deputy Governor, the heads of the security agencies at the meeting, briefed the Deputy Governor about what transpired.
He stated: “To this effect, an enlarged Emergency meeting of the EXCO and Security Council on the situation will Continue this Monday 1st April 2024 by 10:00 am.
“In the meantime, measures are being put in place by the security agencies to bring the situation under control. The Government is appealing to all law-abiding citizens of Kebbi State not to allow the misguided elements to use this unfortunate incident for their selfish end,” the statement added.