The Federal Government has said that on Tuesday, March 5, it has intercepted 141 trucks attempting to smuggle grains and other staples to Niger Republic, Chad, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic.
According to Bashir Adeniyi, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, within two weeks, approximately 120 trucks smuggling food items from Nigeria were apprehended.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission also prevented 21 food trucks from leaving the country on Tuesday.
As Adeniyi detailed the measures implemented to ensure food security at the House of Representatives in Abuja, truck drivers, who have been frequently targeted by criminals, threatened to go on strike if the situation persists.
Numerous trucks and warehouses, predominantly owned by manufacturers and members of the organized private sector, have been subjected to attacks as food inflation and the cost of living crisis in the country escalate.
Recent incidents include the theft of food items from trucks stranded in traffic along the Kaduna Road in the Suleja area of Niger state and the looting of a warehouse belonging to the Agricultural and Rural Development Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration in the Dei-Dei area of Abuja.
To address the issue, President Bola Tinubu directed that seized food items be diverted to local markets in the areas of arrest to lower the prices of grains and other food items.
Meanwhile, Adeniyi emphasized that the objective behind halting food smuggling was to combat hunger and not to facilitate individuals seeking to enrich themselves at the expense of the people.
He cautioned against adopting quick-fix solutions and stressed the importance of implementing long-term measures to address the situation.
Regarding the suspension of the auction of seized grains by the Nigeria Customs Service following a deadly stampede in Lagos, Adeniyi mentioned that President Tinubu instructed the NCS to auction the seized food items to vulnerable Nigerians and sell imported food items back to local markets for resale.
Amidst concerns that the attacks on trucks transporting food and fuel could worsen the social and economic situation in the country, Yusuf Othman, the National President of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners, warned that truck drivers may cease operations if the attacks persist.
He urged state governments to address the issue and emphasized the need for enhanced security on the roads.
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