It was tragedy at the weekend as four persons were reportedly killed when youths in Kogi State stormed the colonial UAC ware houses for Covid-19 palliatives in Lokoja allegedly being hoarded by the government and looted the items.
The youths in their thousands, who besieged the ware houses along Pata road in Lokoja metropolis, were initially prevented by the security men, who were later overwhelmed by the youths, and opened the gates for the looting to commence.
Women were not left out in the scramble for the essential commodities which was sent to the state by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Social development, CACOVID, Dangote group and other philanthropists, meant to cushion effect of the lock down resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Items so looted include, rice, indomie noddles, macaroni, sugar, beans and other essential commodities.
The state capital was agog with the less privileged seen rushing to the scene of the looting and proudly displaying their loots, claiming that the items belonged to them in the first place.
The state government officials were watching helplessly as the poor carted away the hoarded food items.
However the Commissioner of Information, Hon. Kingsley Fanwo hailed the youths for their courage and determination to free the society from tyrant and brutality.
Though the stampede and subsequent looting was to the delight of many who see the hoarding as sheer wickedness, the scramble was however said to have been attended with tragedy as four of the youths were said to have died in the process, possibly due to suffocation or stampede among the rampaging looters.
