In the couple of days this week, some States in Nigeria were in the news following reported cases of peaceful sparked by anti-police brutality protests later degenerated into unwarranted vandalism and burglary of government and private properties by miscreants under the guise of searching COVID-19 food items.
Video clips and pictures of looting spree circulated in the social media shows that the looters considered the evacuation of the items as booty, though some have criminal penchants as uniforms of law enforcement agents were found in their possession.
The irate persons mostly youths, under age children and nursing mothers after parting away with food items stocked in government warehouses, then resorted to private warehouses and then government offices carting away with non-food items to include official documents and equipment worth billions of naira with an intent to dispose some of the items later at cheaper prices which others described as wickedness.
One of the scenarios exhibited by looters was setting personal structures ablaze, burning personal and official documents and broadcasting fertilizers in gutters after the government had made a pronouncement to clamp down on the looters, for failure to return the looted items. These acts of the vandals had reversed the development achieved by the affected states and organizations in meeting the yearnings and aspirations of people.
The act of hooliganism is counterproductive as it would affect governance and organizations operations. A lot of money will be spent in putting back the destroyed structures back to life which could have been used for other purposes.
Why the looting in some States
“What the protesters have done is they’ve shown the effectiveness of the silent majority to push for change,” said Idayat Hassan, director of the Center for Democracy and Development (CDD), a think tank in Abuja. “A new political movement has emerged, whether the ruling class likes it or not, and a new generation of political leaders has been born.”
Affected states that have their share of the vandalisation, and this might not be unconnected with the handling of relief materials deployed to their states by the Federal Government to cushion economic hardship occasioned by COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Stores of more than one-third of 36 states in Nigeria were attacked by looters following wave of unrest sparked by anti-police brutality protests
It was observed that if these items were shared by the government long before, the destruction of public, private properties and loss of lives could have been averted, as no such incidences recorded in States that have already shared the items among the populace.
Bishop Stephen Dami Mamza, Adamawa State Chairman Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) advises the government to always share what is meant to the generality of people on time.
Governors of the states affected by the crisis were said to have hoard the products with interior motive, claiming they denied saying the items were kept for vulnerable members of the society in anticipation of a second round of coronavirus.
On the religious side
On the religious point of view, the religious leaders were of the view that the act is criminality in nature and it is against Islam and Christianity, and anyone found to be involved should be treated as criminals.
Alhaji Gambo Jika, Chairman Adamawa State Chapter Muslim Council of Nigeria (MCN) said the act of ransacking public or private facility is immoral and tantamount to stealing, “it is prohibited in Islam and punishable by Allah on the day of judgment”.
Bishop Stephen Dami Mamza, Adamawa State Chairman Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) described looting as sinful and criminal, “Christian religion does not condone such acts and those in possession of looted items should summon the courage and return the loot to the government”.
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