Tension in Niger over youth plan to loot palliative

Security has been beefed up around warehouses in Minna where food and other items meant for distribution as palliatives to cushion the effect of COVID-19 lockdown were kept.

Heavily armed security agents, comprising of the police, the Civil Defence and other security outfits were seen mounting gates on all the government stores and warehouses where the palliatives are suspected to have being kept.

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It follows growing tension following concerns looters are planning to invade warehouses.

A visit to the two main warehouses, the Niger state supply company located at the old airport road, and Agricultural Development Projects (ADP) located at Maitumbi, a suburb of Minna saw a heavy presence of security agents.

Security was said to have also been beefed up at the temporary Hajj Camp at Tudun Fulani where some palliative items donated by CACOVID are being kept.

The decision to beef up security around these was informed by security reports that some youths had mobilized and were desperately searching for where COVID-19 palliatives are being kept for possible invasion.

Although no government official, even the state COVID-19 TaskForce was ready to comment on the presence of heavy security at all the warehouses.

The state assembly had earlier launched an investigation into the activities of the state Task Force on COVID-19 where it discovered a warehouse where food items donated by individuals and corporate organizations for palliative were stocked.

The food and other items worth millions of naira donated to the state government for onward distributions to the people as palliative to reduce the hardship as a result of the lockdown occasioned by the outbreak of coronavirus were discovered in different warehouses in Minna, the state capital.

The house launched the investigation due to outcry from members of the public on ways and manner in which the state Task Force on COVID-19 headed by the Secretary to the State Government, Ibrahim Metane handled its activities, including how the monies approved for the committee were expended.

The house then decided to set up set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the activities of the committee.

The committee which was chaired by Malik Madaki Bosso, member representing Bosso constituency, after two weeks of setting decided to visit these ware houses where these items are being stacked following tip off from the public.