Hoodlums hijack COVID-19 relief materials in Minna
Team members of Angels of Hope Foundation in Minna faced a tough time over the weekend as hoodlums hijacked relief materials being shared to some families to cushion the effect of the coronavirus pandemic.
The incident, which occurred in Sabon Titi in the Tunga area of Minna, saw the hoodlums, numbering over 50, overpowering the team members before they made away with the relief materials.
It was gathered that the hoodlums had thought the relief materials were part of intervention promised by the State Government as palliatives.
The Niger State Coordinator of the Angels of Hope Foundation, Aisha Badeggi, while speaking about the incident, said that the foundation had begun the outreach from Kpakungu before it moved to Anguwan Sarki and New York, in Bosso area of Minna.
She stated that Sabon Titi was the fourth place the foundation went to when the incident occurred.
“It happened at Sabon Titi in Tunga. We were entering homes to give them the relief materials. We would greet them and then explain to them who we are, telling them the things they needed to do and those to avoid because of the pandemic.
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“Suddenly, we came out from a particular house and over 50 thugs were following us to where we parked. They insisted that we should give them their own share.
“Before we knew it, they were blowing weeds and passing to each other. Next, one of them entered the car and opened the booth. They took the food items we had inside different sacks and went away with it.
“They were like Niger State Government said it would provide palliatives to them so it is their right to be given those food items we took there. Some even said we paid to distribute bags of rice but we gave them inside nylon.
“One of our member’s phone was removed from his pocket too but we were lucky. He got it back after much pleading,” she narrated.
Aisha further stated that the team members thought they would be mobbed by the hoodlums.
Founder of the foundation, Umar Naveed, in a statement, lamented the incident, saying that the hoodlums deprived low-income families in the area from getting the relief materials that would have cushioned the effects of the lock-down in the.
He called on the state government to provide support to the people, stating that “low-income families are scared, hungry and confused”.
