Hundreds of residents were left stranded in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, after operators of a discounted foodstuff scheme reportedly shut their premises and became unreachable.
The customers, some of whom arrived as early as 7:30am, had gone to collect food items they paid for a week earlier.
However, they met the building locked, while telephone numbers provided by the operators could not be reached.
The outfit, identified as Global Food Initiative, reportedly started operations about three weeks ago. The scheme sold a 50kg bag of rice for ₦27,000, 25 litres of vegetable oil for ₦30,000 and a pack of spaghetti for ₦10,000.
Customers were required to pay in advance and return after seven days.
The operators distributed fliers describing the scheme as a temporary programme aimed at reducing food prices. Some customers who joined during the first week reportedly received their goods, attracting more residents to the scheme.
More than 200 people gathered at the premises on Monday, demanding their goods or refunds.
Some of the affected customers said they had paid substantial amounts for food items.
One said she paid ₦300,000 for 11 bags of rice, while another said she paid ₦1.2 million for food items meant for her stepdaughter’s wedding.
She said the money was paid into an account bearing the name of the scheme at an online microfinance bank.
Another customer, Tajudeen Adeyemi, told Osun Defender, an online platform, that he paid ₦135,000 for five bags of rice and introduced his sister and a neighbour to the scheme.
Many of the affected customers were traders who said they bought the food items in bulk for resale.
Panic reportedly spread on Sunday after a radio presenter at a private radio station in Osogbo warned residents against the scheme, alleging that it was fraudulent.
Some aggrieved customers reportedly threatened to damage the building housing the operators’ warehouse, prompting the deployment of police operatives.
The Osun State Police Command confirmed that officers were deployed to the area to prevent a breakdown of law and order.
The command’s spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi, said the police became aware of the scheme only after arriving at the scene and that nobody had formally reported the incident at the time. “We are monitoring the situation to avoid crisis,” he said.
A resident, Mrs Nike Adebayo, said the operators increased the number of bags customers could buy during their second week. “We don’t know what happened,” she said.
The number of affected customers and the total amount collected could not be independently confirmed as of press time.
Credit to our Media Partner DailyTrust .
