The police have beefed up security at the warehouses belonging to the National Emergency Management Agency nationwide following the looting of food warehouses in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on Sunday, by suspected hoodlums.
This was as soldiers foiled an attempt to raid a factory warehouse at the Idu Industrial District, Jabi, Abuja, on Sunday morning, arresting five of the attackers.
Footage of the incident made available to The PUNCH showed the arrested suspects lying on the ground as armed soldiers stood over them.
The factory was involved in the production, processing, and packaging of various agro-commodities including grains, rice, pulses, and edible oil.
Several incidents of attacks and looting of warehouses and food trucks have been reported in many cities against the backdrop of the hardship and the cost of living crisis in the country,
Last week, some youths stole food items from trucks stuck in traffic along Kaduna Road in the Suleja area of Niger State.
The attackers reportedly overwhelmed the truck drivers and looted scores of bags of rice before they were dispersed by soldiers.
The Abuja incident occurred around 9.30am on Sunday shortly after some hoodlums attacked a warehouse belonging to the Agricultural and Rural Development Secretariat of the FCT Administration located in the Dei-Dei area of the capital city.
The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, confirmed the looting of the Dei-Dei warehouse and said that the situation had been brought under control.
The Nigerian Army confirmed the foiled attack on a private warehouse at the Idu Industrial area of the FCT by hoodlums, adding that five suspects were arrested.
Speaking in an interview with one of Punch correspondents, the Director, Army Public Relations, Maj. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, noted that the suspects were arrested with their loot.
He said the suspects would be handed over to the police after the services’ preliminary investigation.
Onyema said, “About five suspects were arrested with their loot and are currently undergoing preliminary investigation, after which they will be handed over to the police”
Narrating what happened at the Idu factory, a source said, “Some hoodlums attacked our company today (Sunday). It happened this morning between 9.30am and 10am. They came in large numbers of about 200 to 300 people with bikes and keke, carrying sticks and long knives.
Punch
