The operatives of the State Security Service in Katsina have recovered 2,000 bags of rice out of the 20 trucks donated to the state by the federal government.

Some government officials allegedly diverted the recovered rice.

The gesture by the federal government was to cushion the effects of the current economic hardships in the country.

However, the SSS officials in Katsina, who confirmed the negative development, declined further comments on the issue and preferred not to be anonymous.

An investigation revealed that the 25kg bags of rice were deposited in a store at the Central Market, Katsina. Some people alerted the SSS on Wednesday night and immediately swung into action.

Abdulrahman Abdullahi, the chairman of the Civil Society Organisations in Katsina, expressed shock over the theft.

Mr Abdullahi lamented how the federal government donated the palliatives to the vulnerable but were allegedly diverted by some unpatriotic people.

The chairman vowed they would continue to follow the case to its logical conclusion.

He, therefore, advised the government to investigate the matter to punish those behind the diversion.

The chairman of the Market Traders Association, Shehu Usman, said that the rice was brought into the market by someone who was not a trader.

“Someone asked his brother to keep the rice for him in his stores in the market. We are calling on our members to be careful in receiving such items from people outside for keeping in the market,” he said.

Responding to the matter, the principal private secretary to Governor Dikko Radda, Aliyu Abdullahi, said the federal government allocated the rice to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa.

He said, “The minister directed the special adviser to the governor on infrastructure development, Alhaji Nasiru Lawal, to keep it, and he decided to take the rice to the market for safekeeping. The rice allocated to the minister was 1,200 bags.”

(NAN)