One Killed As Kebbi Residents Loot Public, Private Warehouses Amid Hunger, Hardship

At least one person was reportedly killed on Sunday when residents of Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State capital, northwest Nigeria looted food items stored at various warehouses owned by the government and private bodies.

In a video seen on social media by SaharaReporters, the residents in their large numbers were captured looting a big truck filled with food items in the Bayan Kara area of the state.

This incident is one of a series of hunger demonstrations by Nigeria since the removal of petrol subsidy and the floating of the naira by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

A source privy to the incident who spoke to The PUNCH newspaper confirmed that one of the residents was killed by military personnel deployed to stop the looting on Sunday.

The source added that the deceased was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre in the state capital but was later declared dead by authorities at the hospital.

The source said, “Some of the soldiers drafted to protect the centre where residents looted foodstuffs on Saturday night went to a nearby shop to confront the shop owners.

“The soldiers, numbering three, engaged the shop owners in a fight, and one of them suddenly attacked the owner of the shop, mistaking him for being involved in the looting.

“He engaged one of the shop owners in a fight and, in the process, shot him in the chest.”

“We immediately rushed him to the Federal Medical Centre for medical attention, but unfortunately, he was confirmed dead on arrival at the hospital,” the source added

Efforts to reach the spokesperson for the state police command, DSP Nafiu Abubakar, failed as he did not answer calls from SaharaReporters.