Hunger pushes Nigerians into mass looting, as Adamawa governor imposes 24-hour curfew after violence
A governor in northeastern Nigerian state of Adamawa, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, on Sunday imposed a 24-hour curfew after youths broke into shops to steal food and other goods.
Nigerians have complained about soaring prices after President Bola Tinubu scrapped a popular petrol subsidy and removed currency restrictions, plunging the naira currency.
Fintiri declared the curfew “due to escalating violence by hoodlums attacking people and businesses.”
He said only people on essential duties were exempted from the no-movement order.
The governor made the declaration in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Humwashi Wonosikou in Yola.
According him, the situation has assumed dangerous dimension as hoodlums in Yola attack people with machetes, broke into business premises and homes carting away property.
“With the curfew imposed, there will be no movement throughout the state.
“Only those on essential duties with valid identification would be permitted to move around during the period of the curfew,” he added.
Fintiri appealed to law abiding residents to comply with the directive, warning that anyone caught contravening the order would be arrested and prosecuted.
Hundreds of hoodlums were reported to have broken into federal and state government storage facilities and looted food and non food items in Yola.
Adamawa looters didn’t break doors
The state deputy governor, Prof Kaletapwa Farauta said the hoodlums that attacked the warehouses in the state did not break the doors.
She was speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics hours the attacks and looting.
“Two warehouses were attacked in Yola, the state capital, while one was attacked in Numan Local Government Area,” she said on the show.
“The NEMA stores and state government warehouse attacked in Yola are within the same axis.
“They drilled holes in the wall of the warehouses, they didn’t break the doors.”
While some have attributed the looting to hunger, the deputy governor has dismissed such claims.
She however contradicted herself when she affirmed that the government was aware of widespread hunger.
“The government is very mindful of the fact that our people are hungry and our people are suffering. We accept that, but we condemn what has happened because that will not take us forward.
Mr Ladan Ayuba, Head of Operations National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said the armed hoodlums looted bags of rice, maize, corn and beans, as well as generators, wrappers, mattresses and plastic buckets among others from NEMA facility.
He said that the hoodlums also vandalized and looted facilities at the NEMA office that was recently reconstructed and furnished.
A source also confirmed to NAN that the hoodlums who attempted to broke into a Silo but were not successful, later moved to attack other government storage facilities.
At least three of the hoodlums were believed to have died while several others were arrested. SP Suleiman Nguroje, the Police Public Relations Officer in Adamawa confirmed the incident, saying that Police and other security operatives have been deployed to protect critical assets and infrastructure.
Adamawa, a largely conservative Muslim state, is the home state of Atiku Abubakar, one of the losing candidates who is challenging Tinubu’s February presidential election victory.
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