The Ekiti state government has issued a warning to its people concerning the looted items from warehouses in Ado-Ekiti on Friday, October 23.

In a statement released on Saturday, October 24, Akin Omole, the commissioner for information and civic orientation, said huge quantities of poisonous items, mistaken for food yet to be distributed as COVID-19 palliatives were looted.

Omole said Ekiti state does not have any COVID-19 palliative warehouse currently as it has already distributed everything to those it is meant for, NAN reports.

He said the state got information that hoodlums seeking COVID-19 palliatives attacked the federal government’s silos, the Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) warehouse and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) stores, in Ado- Ekiti.Ekiti raises alarm, says looted COVID-19 palliatives poisonous

Ekiti government says looted items were fertilizers, not COVID-19 palliatives. Photo credit: @kfayemi

The statement partly read:

“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."

Omole appealed to the people of Ekiti not to consume the items, which he said can lead to death.

Also lending his voice, Dr Olabode Adetoyi, the commissioner for agriculture and food security, who confirmed the looting, said the items were not suitable for consumption.

What began as an invasion of state-owned warehouses has now degenerated into looting spree as hoodlums are unleashing mayhem on pubic and private properties.