By Abimbola Ogunnaike
The Kebbi State Government has constituted a 13-man committee to investigate the looting of palliatives in some parts of Birnin Kebbi, the state capital, on Saturday, 30 March, 2024.
Thegazellenews.com reported that on Saturday, 30 March, 2024, some residents attacked a government warehouse in the Bayan Kara area of Birnin Kebbi on Saturday night and carted away food items.
The hoodlums, who defied security operatives stationed at the warehouse, also broke into some private warehouses and shops in the area and stole food items.
They also looted a broken-down truck loaded with assorted grains meant for distribution in Birnin Kebbi.
Addressing journalists on Monday after the state’s executive council’s meeting, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Shehu Mu’azu, who chairs the committee, said the panel was tasked to submit its report to the state government on Friday, 29 March, 2024.
He clarified that not all government warehouses were targeted.
“Only the warehouse belonging to Birnin Kebbi Local Government Area and the palliatives Dangote Group brought to the state for distribution were looted by hoodlums.
“Our warehouses are empty. We have since distributed our palliatives to people who needed them,” the commissioner said.
Mu’azu attributed the looting of the Dangote palliative to mishandling during distribution, noting that those responsible failed to notify security agents about the distribution process.
The state Commissioner for Information, Yakubu Ahmed Birnin Kebbi, outlined the committee’s objectives, which include identifying the causes of the looting, identifying the culprits, and offering recommendations to prevent similar incidents in the future.
