Truckload of Rice Looted in Edo

Edo residents go on rice looting spree...

Edo State residents loot truckload of rice amid protests, accusing government of hoarding relief materials, while government officials deny allegations and blame opposition for chaos.

On Thursday, August 1, a tense atmosphere prevailed in Urora, Benin, Edo State, as residents seized a truckload of rice that was left unattended in the area.

The incident coincided with the commencement of nationwide protests against poor governance and hunger, adding to the sense of unrest. Eyewitnesses reported that locals flocked to the scene, filling small bags with rice from the truck.

According to a source, the residents were seen streaming into a section of the street in Urora, emerging with bags of rice, as they took advantage of the abandoned truckload.

While looting the truck, they were heard shouting, “This is our rice that the government gave us, this is where they hid it.

“We have located it.

“This is Urora.

“Look at rice everywhere, come and collect your rice.

“Look at the rice that the Edo State Government gave us, this where they hid it.”

A local resident revealed that the truck was parked behind Bethel Faith Secondary School in Urora, condemning the Edo State Government's actions as “wickedness” for allegedly hoarding 

the rice.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) expressed no surprise at the discovery, accusing the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration of converting federal government allocations meant for the people into “donations” claimed by the state government, further fueling public discontent.

According to Jarrett Tenebe, chairman of the APC in Edo State, the government's behavior demonstrated a blatant neglect of the people's needs.

He remarked, “Last month, the Federal Government confirmed that all 36 states, including Edo, had received 20 trucks of rice.

“However, Obaseki has not provided any account for them.

“In his usual deceptive style of governance, Obaseki has converted everything he received from the APC Federal Government on behalf of the Edo people, to donations made by his administration.

“He has achieved this by repackaging the rice and other grains in branded mini bags with Edo State insignia.

“He has announced also that his PDP government spends N1 billion each month for the purchase of rice.

“If the Edo people were ever in doubt, what happened today, where an abandoned truckload of repackaged Federal Government rice with the Edo State Government inscription was discovered by Urora residents, has exposed Obaseki's deliberate plan to deprive the people of accessing the different palliative measures.”

The Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, stated that the government's relief distribution was facilitated by a religious organization, and there was no evidence of a government warehouse in Urora.

He said, “The Edo State Government has received information about the looting of bags of rice from an unidentified truck and private residences in parts of Benin City in the wake of the #EndBadGovernance protests.

“They said that the rice emanated from the Urora area of Ikpoba Hill, Benin City, and the government does not have a warehouse in that location.

“The government supports the vulnerable with relief materials through religious organizations particularly the Christian Association of Nigeria, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, and the Edo State Muslims Pilgrim Welfare Board.

“The state government does not keep any relief material by itself but reaches out to the people through these channels.

“We will not put this tactic past the All Progressives Congress, which is spreading malicious content to score cheap political points.

“This condemnable action is intended to cause chaos in the state and the APC is discouraged from such ignoble practice.”