By Chioma Nnodim
Agricultural and Rural Development Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, on Sunday, admitted the looting of its warehouse in Dei-Dei, by residents in the FCT, over the economic hardship in the country.
Our correspondent reports that the warehouse was raided by the residents on Sunday morning. They carted away foodstuffs and other items stored in the warehouse.
The spokesperson for the ARD Secretariat, Zakari Aliyu, confirmed that the Secretary had earlier visited the warehouse, where the residents had looted everything in the store and vandalised the place, removing the roofs and windows.
He added that the FCT Minister of State, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, and the FCT Mandate Secretary, Agric Secretariat, Lawan Geidam, will again visit the facility on Monday, (today) where more detailed information will be given regarding the incident.
“We visited the scene of the incident this morning. We visited with the Secretary and some other officials of the Secretariat. So, by tomorrow, the Secretary along with the Minister of State will pay another visit to that place. I am sure that a lot of information that will be useful to you, you will get it. If you can just be patient, tomorrow you will get all the information you need. If you go there, there is nothing there. If you know that place, do you know that they removed the roof, and including the windows , apart from the food items?”, he said.
Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency in a statement signed by Manzo Ezekiel, in the NEMA Press Unit, denied reports that its warehouse in Abuja was looted, while sympathising with the owners of the affected warehouse.
NEMA added that the Director-General Mustapha Habib Ahmed, had instructed the strengthening of security at its zonal offices and warehouses nationwide, “to forestall any security breach at NEMA facilities.”
The statement reads as follows “The attention of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has been drawn to media reports on Sunday alleging that the Agency’s warehouse was looted by some hoodlums in Abuja. “This is to clarify that the looted warehouse does not belong to NEMA.
However, the Agency sympathizes with the owners of the looted facility. “To forestall any security breach at NEMA facilities, Director General Mustapha Habib Ahmed has directed Zonal Directors and Heads of Operations to strengthen security in and around the Agency’s offices and warehouses nationwide.”
