This was disclosed by Shehu Sani, an indigene of Zurmi town in Zurmi Local Government Area of the state via a telephone conversation.
At least 50 trucks moving foodstuffs out of the country to the Niger Republic were intercepted on Monday by the Zamfara State Transport Agency.
This was disclosed by Shehu Sani, an indigene of Zurmi town in Zurmi Local Government Area of the state via a telephone conversation.
The source said the vehicles were stopped at Gidan Jaja village, close to the Nigerian borders with Niger Republic.
According to PUNCH, the interception was also confirmed by spokesman for ZARTO, Sale Shinkafi, who alleged that the trucks were attempting to smuggle the food items to the Niger Republic.
He said, “Our men intercepted 50 vehicles loaded with assorted grains while trying to smuggle them out of the country. We directed the owners to go back and sell the commodities to Nigerians at the appropriate prices.”
Shinkafi explained that the trucks were not accompanied by the agency’s officials but were only directed to return to their respective localities and sell the commodities at affordable prices.
“You know that our main concern is to make sure that the food items are not smuggled out of the country. We only refused to allow them to get into Niger Republic, he added.
This was in compliance with a directive given by President Bola Tinubu, ordering all state governors to put measures towards solving the food crisis and hoarding in the country.
SaharaReporters reported last Thursday that Tinubu ordered the trio of the National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi, to collaborate with state governors and go after those hoarding foodstuff.
The decision was taken during the President’s meeting with the governors in Abuja on the current food crisis triggered by the hikes in transportation costs after the fuel subsidy removal and the inability of farmers to harvest their crops because of bandits and kidnappers.
On Sunday, the Nigeria Customs Service said it stopped 15 trailers conveying foodstuffs through the Sokoto borders to Niger Republic.
The National President of All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Kabir Ibrahim lauded the Nigerian Customs Service for recently intercepting trucks of food.
He had recommended that smugglers should be prosecuted and be made to serve life imprisonment.