The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has announced that it seized 21 food trucks that were allegedly smuggling food and non-food items to neighbouring countries, the anti-graft agency.
The trucks were heading to N’djamena in Chad, Bangui in Central African Republic, and Yaounde in Cameroon, according to the EFCC, on Tuesday, March 5.
The trucks were intercepted by operatives of the Maiduguri Zonal Command at major exit routes along Kalabiri/Gamboru Ngala and Bama roads in Borno State.
The EFCC said the food items were cleverly concealed in the trucks and would have gone undetected but for the “eagle-eyed vigilance of its operatives.”
The agency posted pictures of the seized trucks on its Twitter handle, @EFCCNigeria, with the caption: “Food Insecurity: EFCC Arrests 21 Food-loaded Trucks into Neighbouring Countries”.
The commission said it expects the arrest of the trucks to stem the tide of food insecurity “occasioned by unscrupulous antics of smugglers across the country.”
It added that the arrested suspects were profiled and would be charged to court as soon as investigations were concluded.
The seizure comes at a time when Nigeria is facing a severe inflation crisis, with the cost of living soaring to unprecedented levels. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported that the inflation rate rose to 29.90 percent in February 2024, the highest in the country’s history.
The rising cost of food items has been a major contributor to the inflation, according to NBS report that food inflation rate was 36.72 percent in February.
Rising cost of living has triggered pockets of protests in several parts of the country, as Nigerians lament the hardship and hunger.
Some warehouses and food trucks have also been hijacked by angry mobs, who accused the government of hoarding food meant for distribution to the masses. The Federal Government has denied the allegations and said it has rolled out measures to cushion the impacts of the high cost of living. It said it would begin the distribution of grains nationwide later in the week.
President Bola Tinubu, who came to power in 2023, has consistently called for patience and support for his government’s reforms, which include the floating of the naira and the removal of fuel subsidy.
He said these reforms were necessary to stabilize the economy and attract foreign investment. He insisted there was no going back on them.
