It is no longer news that millions of Nigerians are facing hunger and starvation, but this new wave of masses breaking into warehouses and looting food items is alarming. This na serious gbege o!
Several incidents of attacks and looting of warehouses and food trucks have been reported in many cities amid the hardship and the cost of living crisis in the country.
We heard what happened in the Tasha area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as some Nigerians invaded the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) warehouse to steal food.
BREAKING news Residents Invade NEMA Warehouse In Nigeria’s Capital, Loot Foodstuffs, Others Amid Hardship.
This is just the beginning of the revolution we told you about. pic.twitter.com/l4EHlY3m8F— Ubasinachi Charles Okafor (@ubasinachimbia) March 4, 2024
A similar incident happened on Monday in the Dei-Dei area of the FCT, where a truck was hijacked and looted!
This morning, there was another incident of a truck carrying food items being looted in Daidai, Abuja. pic.twitter.com/uI19TRdUlC
— Imran Muhammad (@Imranmuhdz) March 4, 2024
And in Kaduna State, a BUA truck was not spared.
BUA Truck Looting in Zaria; Shege never even start to dey enter body; pic.twitter.com/mRRACgpBkF
— Ayemojubar (@ayemojubar) March 2, 2024
All these acts point to one fact: the majority of Nigerians are in a crisis of survival. But this does not justify the looting of warehouses or the hijacking of food trucks, as it is criminal and punishable.
Food stuff prices, such as rice, beans and vegetables are at high levels as consumer demand rises; other items, including fish, poultry, and milk, remain variable due to transportation and processing challenges.
Overall, the cost of food in Nigeria has risen dramatically for families. Market experts have warned that these high costs will continue to rise since farming has become unsustainable, mainly due to flooding.
While the cost of food items in the country has tripled, with food inflation rising to 35.41 percent, citizens must refrain from actions that only serve to deepen the economic crisis.
As we earlier highlighted, the government’s response to the high cost of living requires a holistic approach that goes beyond traditional cash transfer programmes.
President Bola Tinubu and his team must urgently address this issue by subsidising public transportation and supporting agricultural productivity to ensure food security and stabilise food prices.
Photo source: Channels Television
