Residents in Osogbo, Osun State, broke into and looted a warehouse belonging to the Global Food Initiative after the operators of the cheap food scheme vanished, leaving dozens of depositors unable to recover their money or collect the food items they had paid for. The looting at the organisation's Odi-Olowo office began around 4pm on Tuesday, with residents carting away bags of rice, noodles, and groundnut oil despite heavy rainfall.
Police Fire Tear Gas as Crowd Grows
As reported by The Punch, a small number of police officers on the scene struggled to contain the situation, eventually firing tear gas canisters in an attempt to disperse the crowd. The crisis began on Monday when residents who had deposited money with the scheme arrived at the Odi-Olowo office expecting to be attended to, only to find the premises locked and the operators absent.
The scheme had attracted buyers by offering food items at prices significantly below market rates, with collection typically due one week after payment. A resident identified as Mistura said she deposited N300,000 the previous Wednesday to buy 11 bags of rice at N27,000 per bag. At the current market price of N55,000 per bag, those same bags would have cost her N605,000.
Depositors Lose Life Savings
Another depositor, Olamide, said she had paid N1.2 million for various food items she planned to use for her stepdaughter's upcoming wedding ceremony. "I got here this morning and met a crowd waiting to be attended to, but the operators were nowhere to be found. I was warned, but I never thought they would run away this early. The items I paid for were to be used for my stepdaughter's wedding ceremony," Olamide said.
By Tuesday, more residents had gathered at the office, demanding that the operators resume business or return their money. The owner of the building appealed to the crowd to remain calm and allow security agents time to locate the operators and work out how depositors could recover their funds. The residents refused to leave.
Looting Continues Despite Heavy Rain
When it became clear that no resolution was forthcoming, some in the crowd forced open the warehouse and began removing whatever food items remained inside. The looting continued despite heavy rainfall, with residents carrying away bags of rice, noodles, and groundnut oil from the Odi-Olowo office.
The incident has left many depositors in Osogbo counting their losses, as the operators of the Global Food Initiative remain at large. The police have not yet issued an official statement on the incident or the whereabouts of the scheme's operators.
