Angry Osun residents loot warehouse after cheap food scam

File photo: Osun State Map

Many residents on Tuesday stormed the Odi-Olowo, Osogbo, office of the Global Food Initiative and looted the warehouse where food items were kept by the operators of the scheme.

The development followed an earlier report by PUNCH Online on the tension in Osogbo, Osun State, on Monday, after operators of the cheap food scheme disappeared, leaving residents who had paid various sums for food items stranded.

On Monday, many residents who had deposited money for the purchase of food items at prices below prevailing market rates gathered at the organisation’s office in the Odi-Olowo area of Osogbo, waiting for the operators to open for business.

A resident, identified simply as Mistura, told PUNCH Metro that she deposited N300,000 last Wednesday to purchase 11 bags of rice at N27,000 per bag.

Mistura said the items were usually due for collection one week after payment, adding that the 11 bags of rice would have cost her N605,000 at the prevailing market price of N55,000 per bag.

Another investor, Olamide, said she paid N1.2m for various food items she intended to use for the forthcoming wedding ceremony of her stepdaughter.

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“I got here this morning and met a crowd waiting to be attended to, but the operators were nowhere to be found. I was warned, but I never thought they would run away this early. The items I paid for were to be used for my stepdaughter’s wedding ceremony,” she said.

On Tuesday, several residents who had paid for food items converged on the operators’ office, waiting for them to resume operations.

Despite pleas by the owner of the building for the crowd to exercise patience and allow security agents to identify the operators and work out measures to recoup the funds deposited, the agitated residents refused to leave the premises.

However, about 4pm on Tuesday, some people forced open the operators’ warehouse and looted food items, including bags of rice, noodles and groundnut oil.

PUNCH Online reports that those involved in the looting defied the heavy downpour, while a handful of police operatives on the ground battled to keep the situation under control.

As of the time of filing this report, the looting was still ongoing, with security agents firing canisters to disperse the crowd.