Tinubu orders police, DSS to go after persons hoarding food items

President Bola Tinubu has directed heads of security agencies to work with state governors and go after those hoarding food items in the country.

The president, according to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, gave the directive at Thursday’s meeting with governors of the 36 states at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Those affected by the directive are the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Director-General of the Department of State Service (DSS), Yusuf Bichi.

Protests over the rising prices of food items and other costs of living have spread from Niger State to other parts of the country in the last few days.

The minister told journalists the federal government would not import food to address the rising cost of food items in the country.

READ ALSO: Rising prices of food items highlight struggle of Nigerian households —NBS

He said: “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.

“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.

“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.

“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.”

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