Hoodlums steal food items for vulnerable

TRACKING___Some suspected hoodlums have allegedly carted away food items such as bags of rice, garri, among others meant for distribution to the vulnerable persons by the Bayelsa State Government, it has been learnt.

It was also learnt that bags of garri as well as rice were stolen by the criminals at a store where the items were kept at Igbogene area of Yenagoa, the state capital.

A source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, alleged that the hoodlums shot their way to the venue where the foodstuffs were being distributed to the various representatives of the local government areas.

Those who were at the sharing point were said to have scampered for safety as the suspected hoodlums shot sporadically into the air to scare them off.

Though the number of hoodlums were not stated, they were alleged to have made away with the items they stole and escaped through the nearby bushes.

It was gathered that the stolen foodstuffs were meant for Sagbama, Ekeremor and Southern Ijaw local government areas.

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The State Government had recently announced it converted the relief materials meant for flood victims in 2019 to assist vulnerable persons to cushion the effect of the lockdown as a precaution to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Though no official confirmation as of the time of filling this report, it was also learnt that the action of the hoodlums might affect the smooth distribution of the food items to the indigenes who had started feeling the pains of the lockdown.

Governor Douye Diri had on Thursday signed an executive order announcing the partial closure of markets in the state and restriction of movements as part of efforts to check the COVID -19 in the state.

Bayelsa is one of the states that has not recorded an outbreak of coronavirus pandemic.