Angry residents stormed the Global Food Initiative office in Osogbo’s Odi-Olowo area after operators vanished with their depositsOne resident paid N1.2m for food items meant for her stepdaughter’s wedding, while another deposited N300,000 for 11 bags of ricePolice fired canisters to disperse the crowd as looting of rice, noodles and groundnut oil continued despite heavy rainPAY ATTENTION: Find it fast with our new search feature at Legit.ng! Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over eight years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues Osogbo, Osun State – Residents in Osogbo, Osun State, broke into and looted a warehouse belonging to the Global Food Initiative after the operators of the cheap food scheme vanished, leaving dozens of depositors unable to recover their money or collect the food items they had paid for.The looting at the organisation’s Odi-Olowo office began around 4pm on Tuesday, with residents carting away bags of rice, noodles, and groundnut oil despite heavy rainfall. Osogbo residents loot food warehouse after cheap food scheme operators vanish with deposits. Source: OriginalAs reported by The Punch, a small number of police officers on the scene struggled to contain the situation, eventually firing tear gas canisters in an attempt to disperse the crowd.
PAY ATTENTION: From breaking news to viral moments. Follow Legit.ng on Instagram!Residents left stranded after paying millionsThe crisis began on Monday when residents who had deposited money with the scheme arrived at the Odi-Olowo office expecting to be attended to, only to find the premises locked and the operators absent. The scheme had attracted buyers by offering food items at prices significantly below market rates, with collection typically due one week after payment.A resident identified as Mistura said she deposited N300,000 the previous Wednesday to buy 11 bags of rice at N27,000 per bag. At the current market price of N55,000 per bag, those same bags would have cost her N605,000.
Another depositor, Olamide, said she had paid N1.2 million for various food items she planned to use for her stepdaughter’s upcoming wedding ceremony.”I got here this morning and met a crowd waiting to be attended to, but the operators were nowhere to be found. I was warned, but I never thought they would run away this early. The items I paid for were to be used for my stepdaughter’s wedding ceremony,” Olamide said.Looting begins after pleas failBy Tuesday, more residents had gathered at the office, demanding that the operators resume business or return their money. The owner of the building appealed to the crowd to remain calm and allow security agents time to locate the operators and work out how depositors could recover their funds.
The residents refused to leave.When it became clear that no resolution was forthcoming, some in the crowd forced open the warehouse and began removing whatever food items remained inside.An X user, @thisisAkinola, shared a video of the looting that occurred on Tuesday, September 29, 2026.Phone vendor reacts after shop robbery Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that an Ilesa phone vendor expressed deep gratitude after receiving a ₦20 million financial gift from Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke. The businessman had earlier been left devastated after thieves reportedly broke into his shop and carted away phones and other gadgets.The vendor displayed the credit alert online and thanked Adeleke for coming to his aid after his story was brought to the governor’s attention. Source: Legit.ng Adekunle Dada (Politics and Current Affairs Editor) Adekunle Dada is a Politics and Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng. He holds a B.Sc. in Mass Communication from Lagos State University, Ojo, and brings over eight years of professional media experience to his role.
He has spent his career refining his craft at PM News, The Sun, and Within Nigeria. In 2024, he earned a certification in advanced digital reporting from the Google News Initiative. He can be reached at adekunle.dada@corp.legit.ng Osun State Uae Zimbabwe Qatar Gabbie carter Frsc
