By Yemi Adebowale
Last Tuesday,
residents of the Kpansia area of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, in their hundreds,
invaded a warehouse in the locality where the state’s emergency management
agency keeps food. The story was that the agency was hoarding the items despite
the hunger in the land. So, hundreds of people gleefully entered the place,
disarmed the security men and stole food that included bags of rice, beans,
garri as well as cartons of noodles and bottle water. Officers of the Bayelsa
State’s security outfit, Doo Akpo, were swiftly deployed to the warehouse to
deal with the invaders and secure the building. They could not stop the
famished trespassers.
Few hours after
the looting, the state government raised the alarm that the goods were “expired
relief materials” donated by some concerned Nigerians during the 2022 flood in
the state, and urged the raiders to return them to avoid harming their health.
“These items are unfit for human consumption,” declared the government.
The looters cared less. As at press time, not even a teaspoon of rice had been
returned by the starving Nigerians. I guess they are delightedly enjoying the
food.
