The Agricultural and Rural Development Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has officially confirmed the looting of its warehouse in Dei-Dei, Abuja. The incident occurred on Sunday and was carried out by residents in response to the prevailing economic hardship in the country.
Zakari Aliyu, the spokesperson for the ARD Secretariat, verified the incident, stating that the Secretary had visited the warehouse earlier, only to find it completely looted and vandalized. The looters had emptied the store of all its contents and caused damage to the infrastructure by removing the roofs and windows.
In response to the situation, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, the FCT Minister of State, and Lawan Geidam, the FCT Mandate Secretary of the Agric Secretariat, are scheduled to visit the facility on Monday to assess the extent of the damage and provide detailed information about the incident.
Aliyu assured that comprehensive information would be made available following the visit, urging patience from the public. He highlighted the extensive damage done to the warehouse, emphasizing the removal of not only food items but also the roofing and windows.
However, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) issued a statement denying reports of looting at its warehouse in Abuja. Signed by Manzo Ezekiel from the NEMA Press Unit, the statement expressed sympathy towards the affected warehouse owners.
The Director-General of NEMA, Mustapha Habib Ahmed, instructed the reinforcement of security measures at NEMA facilities nationwide to prevent future security breaches.
The statement clarified: “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.”
