Activities of hoodlums in some parts of Lagos State is hampering the distribution of food items and other perishables from the Mile 12 International Market along Ikorodu road to smaller markets and homes around the state following the lockdown in state as part of the measures to curtail the spread of Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.
The Chairman of Mile 12 International Market, Alhaji Shehu Usman Jibril said there has been an increase in the attacks on trucks conveying staple foods to traders in markets across the state for the benefit of the population.
He said as the flagship market is recording huge losses because of the drop in patronage following lagosians inability to access the market whilst the lockdown lasts just as area boys assault drivers conveying food stuff to markets in Surulere and Lekki axis.
Alhaji Usman said “We don’t have problems conveying the foods to Lagos but the challenges now are within the Lagos metropolis, we embarked online marketing whereby people around Lagos place order for food stuff to be supply them in their locations and homes, we have the Mile 12 mobile trading that we do which has recorded successes in a short time. Whenever we made supplies to Surulere, area boys in that locality ransacked our trucks and forcefully took away food items meant for customers who had ordered them.”
“Another flash spot is the Lekki axis, our trucks on that route were blocked and the assailants made away with more than a 100 tubers of yams, two bags of rice in one swoop alongside other items. These incidents have no doubt slowed down our reach in the supply chain and to those who need these supplies. Albeit discouraging but we have vowed that it will not stop us from ensuring that markets around the state that depend on Mile 12 for their supply are given attention so that Lagosians will not lack basic food items in their various homes.”
