Looted COVID-19 Palliatives in Ekiti Are Poisonous – Govt Raises Alarm

The Ekiti state government has sounded a warning to unsuspecting Nigerians involved in the looting of supposed COVID-19 palliative in Ekiti.

Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mr Akin Omole, said in a statement that the food items taken are chemical-prepared crops for planting and as such are harmful for consumption.

“Information at our disposal revealed that the Federal Government’s silos, the ADP warehouse and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) stores, all in Ado- Ekiti, were attacked by hoodlums under the guise of seeking Covid-19 palliatives.

“We insist that Ekiti State currently has no Covid-19 palliative warehouse as all the palliatives had been distributed.

“Unfortunately, the items carted away were Single Super Phosphate and NPK fertilisers, which they erroneously thought was “Gaari’’, cassava grains.

“The SEMA store too has only emergency supplies for disaster response.

“Some people even made away with pre-fermented corns preserved for planting. All these items are poisonous and not fit for consumption.

“We, therefore, appeal to our people not to consume these items because they can kill,’’ Omole warned.

In a similar statement, Dr Olabode Adetoyi, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, confirmed the looting, warning that most of the items carted away contained chemically-treated seeds meant for planting.

“They are not suitable for consumption,’’ he declared.

The looters actually defied a heavy downpour in Ado-Ekiti on Friday night to storm the warehouses.