The Department of State Security Services (DSS) has detained Alhaji Nasir Lawal, Governor Dikko Radda’s Special Adviser on Infrastructure, along with several state government officials and traders involved in diverting federal government rice intended for vulnerable individuals in Katsina State.
FULL LIST OF OFFICIALS
Earlier, DSS officials seized 2,000 bags of rice stored at Katsina’s Central Market, linking the consignment to Alhaji Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development. Additional investigations are ongoing regarding the source of another 800 bags.
The rice was confiscated following a tip-off about suspicious overnight deliveries by concerned citizens. According to a distribution list obtained by journalists, Minister Ahmed Musa Dangiwa was allocated 1,200 bags for distribution to the less privileged.
FULL LIST OF OFFICIALS HERE
Meanwhile, the Principal Private Secretary of Governor Dikko Radda explained that the minister’s aides had stored the rice in a warehouse “for safekeeping.” Similarly, the Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah wa Iqamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS) received 6,000 bags on behalf of its members, which have yet to be distributed.
Civil society organizations and residents have expressed concern over the scandal and delays in food distribution. Abdur Rahman Abdullahi, the State Chairman of the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations, described the situation as alarming during a press briefing in Katsina.
Abdullahi commended the DSS for investigating the officials involved in diverting food aid but urged the Katsina State government to establish a committee to probe the alleged diversion of rice trucks intended for distribution to the needy.
Meanwhile, Governor Radda’s Special Adviser on Infrastructure and other officials are under interrogation by the DSS regarding allegations of diversion and hoarding.
Recently, the federal government had announced the release of twenty trucks of rice to each state to mitigate the impact of rising food prices across the country. The bags are marked with ‘Federal Government of Nigeria Food Security Programme’ labels to prevent illegal sales or hoarding, ensuring they reach those in need amidst widespread poverty and inflation.
