Osogbo residents looted food warehouse after operators of cheap food scheme disappeared

Tensions escalated in Osogbo, Osun State, on Tuesday when angry residents broke into a warehouse operated by the Global Food Initiative and took away food after the scheme’s operators allegedly disappeared.

The incident occurred at the organisation’s office in Odi-Olowo area of ​​Osogbo, where residents had gathered after reportedly paying for large amounts of food commodities offered at prices well below the prevailing market prices.

The development follows riots that occurred on Monday at the same location, where customers who had made payments waited for operators to open for business but were left stranded.

One of the affected residents, identified as Mistura, said he paid N300,000 last Wednesday for 11 bags of rice at N27,000 per bag.

According to him, customers are usually expected to receive their goods one week after payment. He said the same quantity of rice would cost about N605,000 at the prevailing market price of N55,000 per bag.

Another customer, Olamide, said he deposited N1.2 million for various types of food which he planned to use for his stepdaughter’s upcoming wedding.

“I arrived here this morning and was met by a crowd of people waiting to be served, but the operator was nowhere to be found. I had been warned, but I didn’t expect them to run away so quickly. The items I paid for would be used for my stepdaughter’s wedding ceremony,” he said.

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The situation worsened on Tuesday when more customers returned to the site, hoping operators would resume operations or provide an explanation for their absence.

The building owner reportedly appealed to aggrieved residents to remain calm and allow security officials to investigate the matter and identify the operator, while exploring possible ways to recover the money paid by customers.

However, this appeal failed to calm the crowd.

At around 4 pm, several members of the crowd reportedly forced their way into the warehouse and started removing food products stored in the warehouse.

The items allegedly taken included sacks of rice, noodles and peanut oil.

The rain that accompanied this incident did not dampen the spirits of the residents because people continued to go in and out of the warehouse carrying food.

The small number of police officers at the scene struggled to control the situation as the crowd became increasingly agitated.

As of press time, looting was still ongoing, while security forces reportedly fired tear gas canisters in an attempt to disperse the crowd and restore order.