The hardship brought about by the current
economic recession in Nigeria has given rise to
a spate of insecurity. According to a report by
The Guardian.
In Kwara State, cooking a pot of soup is now an
invitation to robbers, as cases of eagle-eyed
hungry men absconding with cooked food still
on the fire is now a daily occurrence.
The incident is widespread in areas without
perimeter fencing and among women who cook
or have opted to cook with coal pots. At each
of such areas such as Tanke, Basin, Sango,
Offa Garage, and Kilanko, the incident
according to The Guardian investigations
occurred over five times in just a week.
According to Alhaja Hamidalat Olawale at
Sango:
"I was cooking around 5.00p.m. in
readiness for the breaking of the fast
for the day. It was beans and I decided
to use coal pot at the open backyard. I
had added all the food condiments and
was waiting for the broth to dry up. But
to my greatest surprise, I did not see
the pot of the beans again.
"I was shocked discovering this. What
amazed me was that the thief did not
come for it before it was ready; he or
she came when the food was ready and
we were already salivating, meaning the
person must have been closely
monitoring me."
Another victim, an undergraduate of the
University of Ilorin, Anita Bazuaye, said it was
her pot of soup that disappeared beside her
window.
"It was painful because as a student, it
was difficult for me to get money again
for another soup. In fact, when I
managed to start cooking again, I did
not leave the place until I had securely
packed the pot inside my room."
Reacting to the development, the Police
spokesman, Ajayi Okasanmi (ASP), said no
formal report to that effect had come to him or
anyone within the state command, but warned
that.
"It is a serious matter and we will not
take it lightly with anyone caught in the
act. The Penal Code frowns at theft and
we will treat anyone in the act
accordingly."
A former chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress
(NLC) in the state, Emmanuel Ayeoribe, said
the development could not be divorced from
the non-payment of workers’ salaries.
"If nothing is urgently done to
commence regular payment of salaries,
very soon, people will start leaping over
the fence to steal food, not just from
unfenced quarters," he warned.
Source: The Guardian
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