A government warehouse at Bayan Kara area of Birnin Kebbi, the state capital, was invaded on Saturday night and it’s food contents looted away.
Residents overcome security details stationed at the warehouse, and also forcefully broke into some private warehouses and shops in the area and stole food items.
The residents also carted away the content of a broken-down truck loaded with assorted grains meant for distribution in Birnin Kebbi.
Attacks on warehouses had occurred at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and Suleja in Niger State.
The Chairman of the food vendors association at Bayan Kara Market in Birnin Kebbi, Muhammadu Gwadangwaji, said some shops and warehouses of traders were also set on fire 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.
Governor Nasir Idris: spokesperson,, Ahmed Idris, said the incident was “unfortunate”.
He said: “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 said.
He said the state government had secured its warehouses to prevent reoccurrence.
