President Bola Tinubu on Thursday ordered the National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu; Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, and the Director General of the Department of State Service Yusuf Bichi to collaborate with governors to apprehend those hoarding foodstuff.
The order followed the President’s meeting with state governors in Abuja on the current food crisis confronting the country.
Last week, residents of Niger State protested against the rising cost of food items in the country, which has been blamed on hoarding by some middlemen.
In Kano State, government confiscated 10 warehouses for allegedly hoarding food items in the state.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said that Tinubu in his reaction to the challenge, mandated the heads of the security agencies to liaise with the various state governors.
The Minister, who spoke with newsmen after a meeting between President Tinubu and state governors on Thursday, said, “First, the National Security Adviser, Inspector General of Police; and Director General of the State Services have been directed to coordinate with the state governors to look at this issue of those hoarding commodities.
“At this point that the nation requires food to be brought out to the people so that we can control prices and put food on the table of most Nigerians, commodity sellers are busy hoarding these commodities so that Nigerians will suffer or they will make more money as a result.
“So, the governors and Mr President have taken this decision that security agencies will collaborate with state governors to ensure this ends.”
Regarding government’s planned importation of food to ease the rising cost of food items, Idris said that won’t be necessary as the country has the potential to feed itself.
He said, “A decision has also been taken that in the interest of our country, there would be no need for food importation at this time. Nigeria has the potential to feed itself and be a net exporter of food items to other countries.
“We do not also want to reverse some of the progress we have seen in terms of food production in this country. What we are seeing now is just a temporary difficulty that will soon go away.”