Three lorries, fully loaded with 10 kilograms of rice bags meant as palliatives to cushion subsidy removal, were on Friday hijacked by irate mobs at the Oja-Oba/Idi-Ape/Isale-Oja axis of Ilorin-East, and West local government areas of Kwara State.
According to a video footage, which went viral on social media platforms, the incident happened at around 6:30 p.m. when three Toyota Dyna lorries fully loaded with rice passing through the area, attracted the attention of people, who attacked the trucks. It was gathered that the consignment of rice in the three trucks were meant to be delivered to a yet to be ascertained communities as their shares of palliative to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal.
The development also led to pockets of skirmishes, creating tension within the area. The operatives of the Nigeria Police were later seen in the areas some minutes after the incidents questioning people, but, however, made no arrests at that particular time.
As part of measures to cushion the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy, the state government acknowledged receipt of N2 billion out of the N5 billion announced by the Federal overnment, which is meant to purchase rice to be distributed to the vulnerable people.
There has been discontent within Ilorin metropolis over distribution of the said palliatives for quite a while, with some analysts insisting that the State government had no reliable data with which to effect the distribution.
