Osun residents loot food warehouse after cheap food scheme operators disappear

Residents on Tuesday stormed the Odi-Olowo office of the Global Food Initiative in Osogbo, Osun State, and looted a warehouse containing food items belonging to the operators of the scheme.

The incident occurred after tension had built up in the area following the disappearance of the operators of the cheap food scheme, leaving several residents who had paid for food items stranded.

On Monday, residents who had deposited money to buy food at prices below the prevailing market rates gathered at the organisation’s office in Odi-Olowo, waiting for the operators to open for business.

The development had earlier been reported by Very Nigerian, which said the residents were left uncertain after the operators failed to show up.

One of the affected residents, identified simply as Mistura, said she paid N300,000 last Wednesday to purchase 11 bags of rice at N27,000 per bag.

The situation later escalated on Tuesday as residents descended on the warehouse and took away some of the food items stored there.

Mistura said the items were usually due for collection one week after payment, adding that the 11 bags of rice would have cost her N605,000 at the prevailing market price of N55,000 per bag.

Another investor, Olamide, said she paid N1.2m for various food items she intended to use for the forthcoming wedding ceremony of her stepdaughter.

“I got here this morning and met a crowd waiting to be attended to, but the operators were nowhere to be found. I was warned, but I never thought they would run away this early. The items I paid for were to be used for my stepdaughter’s wedding ceremony,” she said.

On Tuesday, several residents who had paid for food items converged on the operators’ office, waiting for them to resume operations.

Despite pleas by the owner of the building for the crowd to exercise patience and allow security agents to identify the operators and work out measures to recoup the funds deposited, the agitated residents refused to leave the premises.

However, about 4pm on Tuesday, some people forced open the operators’ warehouse and looted food items, including bags of rice, noodles and groundnut oil.

Very Nigerian reports that those involved in the looting defied the heavy downpour, while a handful of police operatives on the ground battled to keep the situation under control.

As of the time of filing this report, the looting was still ongoing, with security agents firing canisters to disperse the crowd.

Details later…

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