Three Toyota Dyanas fully loaded with 10 kilograms of rice bags meant as palliatives to cushion subsidy removal were on Friday hijacked by irate mobs at the Oja-Oba/Idi-Ape/Isale-Oja axis of Ilorin, East, and West local government areas of Kwara state, according to a video footage in possession of Daily Independent.

There has been discontent within the hoi polloi of Ilorin metropolis over distribution of the said palliatives for quite a while with some analysts insisting that the state government had no reliable data with which to effect the distribution.

The consignment of rice in the three trucks where meant to be delivered to a yet to be ascertained communities as their as their shares of palliative to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal.

As learnt, the incident happened at around 6:30 p.m. when three Toyota Dynas fully loaded with rice passing through the area, attracted the attention of people who attacked the trucks.

The scene from the video was quite reminiscent of the COVID 19 siege on government warehouse along Airport Road Ilorin where hungry and angry mob overwhelmed security at the facility carting way stashed away food meant to have been given to people during the pandemic.

The three trucks fully loaded with rice on Friday were reportedly emptied by the attackers.

The development also led to pockets of skirmishes, creating tension within the area.

The operatives of the Nigeria Police were later seen in the areas some minutes after the incidents questioning people, but, however, made no arrests at that particular time.

As part of a measure to cushion the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy, the state government acknowledged receipt of N2 billion out of the N5 billion announced by the federal government, which is meant to purchase rice to be distributed to the vulnerable people.

The state government afterward announced a committee chaired by now retired Commissioner of Police Ebunoluwarotimi Adelesi and other prominent personalities to handle the assignment.

Subsequently, the committee flagged off the distribution of the 10kg rice with phase one carried out at the open field of St. Anthony Secondary School, Offa Road, Ilorin where 250,000 bags were distributed to the residents of the state, drawn from various associations.

The committee later announced that they would continue the distribution of remaining bags by taking them to the local government areas, wards, and communities across the state. (Sunday Independent)

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