The All Progressives Congress and the Edo government are trading words over the ownership of the rice truck looted at a warehouse in Benin.

Benin residents were sighted in a viral video looting the rice at a warehouse in Urora, Uhunmwonde LGA, during the #EndHunger protests that rocked the country on Thursday.

In the video, the looters were heard alleging that the warehouse belonged to the Edo government. Most residents were seen carrying more than a 10kg bag of rice.

At a news conference on Thursday, the acting APC chairman in Edo, Jarret Tenebe, said the video had exposed Governor Godwin Obaseki’s deliberate plan to deprive Edo people of the federal government’s palliative.

He said, “If Edo people were in doubt, the video that emerged in social media today, where an abandoned trailer load of repackaged federal government rice with Edo state government inscription has exposed the state government.

“The rice was discovered by Urora residents and it has exposed Obaseki’s deliberate plan to deprive Edo people from accessing the different palliative measures of the federal government.”

The APC leader described the purported scenario as economic sabotage, which the EFCC must take note of.

However, in its reaction, the Edo government denied ownership of the warehouse.

A statement by the commissioner for communication and orientation, Chris Nehikhare, said the government did not keep relief materials in its warehouses.

The commissioner said the government’s feeding programme for vulnerable persons was being implemented through religious bodies.

Mr Nehikhare, however, accused APC of being responsible for the video.

“The Edo state government has received information about the looting of bags of rice from an unidentified truck and private residences in parts of Benin City in the wake of the #EndBadGovernance protests.

“The videos making the rounds are said to have emanated from the Urora axis of Ikpoba Hill, Benin City, and the government does not have a warehouse in that location. The video is the handiwork of APC in a desperate attempt to score cheap political points,” stated the commissioner.

He added, “The government supports the vulnerable with relief materials through religious organisations, particularly the Christian Association of Nigeria, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria and the Muslim leaders in the state.”

(NAN)