President Bola Tinubu has ordered the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun; and the Director General of the Department of State Service (DSS), Mr. Yusuf Bichi to work with governors and go after those hoarding foodstuff.
Nigeria has been battling a rise in the cost of food items occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy and insecurity among other factors.
But as part of moves to combat the development, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mallam Mohammed Idris said Tinubu has mandated the heads of these security agencies and the NSA to liaise with governors to look at the issue.
“First, the National Security Adviser, Inspector General of Police; and Director General of the State Services have been directed to coordinate with the state governors to look at this issue of those hoarding commodities”, he said after a meeting between President Tinubu and state governors on Thursday.
“At this point that the nation requires food to be brought out to the people so that we can control prices and put food on the table of most Nigerians, commodity sellers are busy hoarding these commodities so that Nigerians will suffer or they will make more money as a result.
“So, the governors and Mr President have taken this decision that security agencies will collaborate with state governors to ensure this ends”.
President Tinubu had earlier ordered the release of grains to ease the rising cost of food items with the Federal Government mulling importation of food.
But Idris said that would not be the case anymore.
“A decision has also been taken that in the interest of our country, there would be no need for food importation at this time. Nigeria has the potential to feed itself and be a net exporter of food items to other countries”, he said.
“We do not also want to reverse some of the progress we have seen in terms of food production in this country. What we are seeing now is just a temporary difficulty that will soon go away”.
