Bags of rice recently distributed by the Nigerian federal government under President Bola Tinubu have been seen in a video being re-bagged for commercial sale in Kogi State.
This development contradicts the government’s directive to distribute the rice for free to vulnerable households.
The government had previously announced the allocation of 20 trucks, each containing 1,200 bags of 25kg rice, to each state as a measure to combat surging food inflation. However, in a video obtained by Report Afrique, residents observed the rice, marked “not for sale,” being repackaged for sale in the open market.
“The rice shared by the federal government is being repackaged for sale. As you can see, ‘not for sale’ is written on the bags. However, we caught people trying to repackage it. They claimed they got the rice from the Agriculture Ministry,” said an incensed resident featured in the video.
Another resident expressed frustration over the rising cost of living, highlighting the fraudulent practices undermining the government’s intervention. “It’s unfortunate. I bought a tin of beans for N380 yesterday, and now see what they are doing to this rice,” he said.
This incident follows a pattern of corruption allegations in the distribution of palliatives in Nigeria. During the COVID-19 pandemic, various palliatives meant for residents were found hoarded in stores, leading to widespread public anger.
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