50 trucks transporting food items en route to Niger Republic were stopped on Monday by the Zamfara State Transport Agency.
The organisation, responsible for carrying out a directive from the president to address the food shortage and prevent hoarding, halted the transportation of trucks filled with various grains.
Last Thursday, President Bola Tinubu directed National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, and Director-General of the Department of State Services Yusuf Bichi, to team up with state governors to address the issue of food hoarding.
Shehu Sani, a resident of Zurmi town in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara state, confirmed the halting of the 50 trucks at Gidan Jaja village near the Nigerian border with Niger Republic.
The spokesperson representing ZARTO, Sale Shinkafi, asserted that the trucks were allegedly trying to transport the food items into the Niger Republic.
He said, “Our men intercepted 50 vehicles loaded with assorted grains while trying to smuggle them out of the country. We directed the owners to go back and sell the commodities to Nigerians at the appropriate prices.”
Shinkafi clarified that the trucks had not been accompanied by officials from the agency. They were simply instructed to head back to their local areas and offer the goods for sale at reasonable prices.
He said, “You know that our main concern is to make sure that the food items are not smuggled out of the country. We only refused to allow them to get into Niger Republic.”
