TheCable

Ahmadu Fintiri, governor of Adamawa, has given all those who looted COVID-19 relief items in the state 12 hours to return them.

He said he would sign an executive order for houses harbouring stolen materials to be demolished.

In a state-wide broadcast on Tuesday, Fintiri threatened to demolish any building that houses the stolen items.

On Sunday, a mob hit a warehouse in Yola, the state capital, carting away food items such as spaghetti, groundnut oil and cartons of noodles.

The warehouse is located on Kwana-Waya road on the outskirts of Yola.

However, the governor said the looters have up till 6am on Wednesday to return these items or he would order a house-to-house search.

“This ultimatum will expire at 6am on Wednesday, 28th October, 2020, after which I will sign an executive order for a house-to-house search to commence by 7am of the same day,” he said.

“Part of the provision of the order is a sanction that will attract withdrawal of C-of-O and if necessary, demolition of every house that harbours any of the stolen properties.

“Law-abiding citizens should cooperate with the security agencies to ensure this is enforced.”

Meanwhile, Sadiq Umar-Daware, chairman of the North East Commodity Associations (NECAS), said a mob that attacked its warehouse in Adamawa and looted 110 tractors, farm implements, foodstuffs, office equipment and documents meant to be distributed to farmers for the planting season.

Umar-Delaware disclosed this in an interview with NAN on Tuesday, adding that warehouses of affiliate associations such as the Rice Farmers Association (RIFAN) and Maize Farmers Association of Nigeria (MFAN) were also looted.

“They not only took tonnes of produce, they also made away with the farm inputs for the dry season farming and the offices of Rice Farmers Association, Maize Farmers Association of Nigeria (MFAN) and the NECAS were also looted and vandalised,” he said.

“Files for various programmes were destroyed and they made away with various documents.

“What they took away include tonnes of rice, beans, maize, sorghum, millet, computers, tables, chairs, water dispenser and cash.”

Speaking on why NECAS has many tractors  in its possession, Umar-Daware said it was to provide leasing and mechanisation service for farmers.

He, however, urged Adamawa residents to be on the lookout for anybody in possession of the tractors and report to NECAS, RIFAN and MFAN officials for recovery and necessary action.

There have been massive looting across the country in the aftermath of the demonstrations against police brutality.