Kebbi Residents Overpower Security, Loot Govt, Private Warehouses

Residents of Kebbi State, on Saturday night reportedly engaged in widespread looting of both government and private-owned warehouses.

According to reports, the looters successfully overpowered the security forces on guard at a government storage facility located in the Bayan Kara area and made away with essential food items.

Also, private warehouses and retail stores in the vicinity fell victim to the raid.

A truck filled with a variety of grains, which had broken down and was intended for distribution within Birnin Kebbi, was likewise plundered.

Speaking on the incident, the chairman of the Bayan Kara Market food vendors association, Muhammadu Gwadangwaji, reported the severity of the situation.

He noted that the aggression of the youths was undeterred by security efforts, which included firing gunshots and deploying tear gas.

According to Gwadangwaji, “They forced their way in and looted the government warehouse and some of our shops.”

He further mentioned that several shops and warehouses were set ablaze by the marauders.

The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Nasir Idris, Ahmed Idris, condemned the attacks as “unfortunate” and unprecedented in Kebbi State.

“The hoodlums had earlier attacked the consignment of food items brought to the state for distribution to the people by Dangote before targeting the government warehouse,” he explained.

Idris lamented the theft of foodstuffs, purchased by the state government for its citizens, totalling over N5 billion distributed across more than 200 trucks.

“It is unfortunate those who broke into the warehouse had gone there to steal what belongs to the people of the state,” he added, confirming that measures had been taken to secure the warehouses against future incidents.