Hundreds of hoodlums, on Sunday, invaded the Idu Industrial Layout in Abuja, raiding several warehouses.
Eyewitnesses confirmed that the hoodlums made away with bags of rice, cartons of tin tomatoes, cereals, milk, bales of Ankara materials, and other items.
The defiant mob, it was observed, continued to plunder warehouses despite the presence of policemen.
The hoodlums were seen loading tricycles and motorcycles with the stolen goods as policemen fired teargas.
The Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, had on Saturday warned members of the public not to be lured into criminality under the guise of ‘hoarded’ palliative food items in the territory.
She had assured residents that there were no hoarded palliatives in the various warehouses across the territory.
According to her, items meant for flood victims in the territory are safe and secure, as security agents have been deployed to man the strategic reserves.
Men of the FCT Command of the Nigeria Police Force had foiled an attempt by some youths to break into a warehouse at the Arts and Culture building in Area 10, Garki.
The youths, numbering over 40 had invaded the area on Saturday morning and made attempts to gain entry into the building to evacuate palliatives warehoused in the place by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).
Aliyu, however, explained that the warehouses were supposed to stock supplies for emergency response including the recurrence of COVID-19 pandemic.
The minister also stated that the FCTA had in the past months distributed all items procured and also distributed donated items to the Area Councils, Community Associations, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Professional bodies/associations, adding that the administration has continued to receive donations that are distributed on a continuous basis and in a transparent manner.
She added that the FCTA through the palliatives had reached more than a million households and individuals across the territory.
Comments are closed.