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Tag: garri

  • Photos: NDLEA detects Cannabis inside sacks of Garri

    Photos: NDLEA detects Cannabis inside sacks of Garri

    Officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Edo State have foiled a criminal attempt to smuggle eighty-three (83) kilograms of cannabis sativa concealed inside sacks of garri out of the State amidst the covid 19 lockdown.

    The interception of the dried weeds that tested positive for cannabis took place Aviele trailer park, Etsako West Local Government Area of the State.

    NDLEA Edo State Commander, Mr. Buba Wakawa who announced the latest operational breakthrough in Benin City also commended operatives of the Auchi Area command for the spectacular drug seizure.

    According to him, “officers attached to the Auchi Area command acting on intelligence report raided the popular trailer park at Aviele where the dried weeds of cannabis hidden inside eight (8) sacks of garri were intercepted while preparing to smuggle the drugs out of the State. This is a very successful operation and I commend the officers for their commitment and ingenuity”.

    While describing the mode of concealment as “cunning”, the commander said that preliminary investigation had revealed that a local cannabis snuggling cartel in the area is behind the cannabis consignment.

    In a related operation at Uzebba forest, the command also recovered twenty (20) kilogrammes of cannabis seeds and thirteen (13) kilogrammes of dried weeds that tested positive for cannabis. The commander, therefore, warned that drug traffickers in the State must quit the criminal act or be prepared for the legal consequences.

    “The early detection of the drugs despite the mode of concealment is a clear signal that the activities of cannabis cartels cannot escape our strict supervision. We are prepared to remain proactive in our counter- narcotics efforts. This way we will continue to subject drug traffickers to the laws of the country to serve as a deterrent to others who might be tempted to indulge in drug trafficking” the commander warned.

  • Covid-19: Buhari-govt releases 70,000 mts of Garri, others to vulnerable Nigerians

    President Muhammadu Buhari-led government has begun the release of 70,000 metric tonnes of assorted food items to vulnerable Nigerians, as part of efforts to cushion the effect of the lockdown in some states.

    The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono, made this known on Monday at the official hand over of 12,500 metric tonnes of assorted food at the Minna Silo Complex in Niger.

    He said the 12,500 metric tonnes of items released from the 25,000 metric tonnes capacity silo complex in Minna, comprised 10,000 metric tonnes of maize and 2,500 metric tonnes of garri.

    This, according to him, is to officially launch release of the 70,000 metric tonnes of garri, maize, millet and sorghum from six silo complexes across the country.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the release of 70,000 metric tonnes of assorted food items to vulnerable Nigerians.

    This is part of efforts to cushion the effect of the lockdown in some states of the federation as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

    Nanono, who handed the food items over to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq, said it was in compliance with President Buhari’s approval.

    He said, “Our mission here is to hand over about 12,500 metric tonnes of garri and maize. Maize 10,000 tonnes, garri 2500 tonnes.

    “The logistics is purely NEMA affairs. Ours is to hand over to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs. I assure you that by tomorrow NEMA would have to be here.

    “Anybody that knows of garri knows that what we have here is high-quality garri.”

    The minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development, Farouq, who received the items on behalf of the ministry, assured that the items would get to the beneficiaries in affected states based on an already well-planned modality for distribution.

    “NEMA is in charge of the logistics to distribute these items to the population that is affected by the lockdown.

    “I am here in my capacity as the minister to receive these items and NEMA has started sending trucks to take the relief to affected states.

    “We have two states plus FCT. Those are the states that are mostly affected and they are the ones that are been locked down as pronounced by Mr President.

    “We have a structure in place from the national down to state and the local government areas.

    “They are the team that will implement the modality, which we already have in place.

    “25 per cent of the population of the state are the ones we are going to reach out to and these are the vulnerable,”she said.

    Dr Suleiman Haruna, the Director of Food and Strategic Reserve in the ministry of agriculture and rural development assured that the food items being released were in good shape.

    He disclosed that the food items in the other silo complexes were equally ready for loading and distribution by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

    He said, “my responsibility here is to ensure that the right quantity in good condition in terms of the food items are released to the public by NEMA.

    “We are releasing from the 25,000 metric tonnes silo complex here in Minna, 12,500 metric tonnes.

    “As I am talking to you right now Gusau is loading ready to commence lifting. Also in Dutsin Ma same operation is going on.

    “We are also ready in Lafia. In total we have 70,000 metric tonnes. 12500 from Minna, Lafia 5000 metric tonnes of millet and 1500 metric tonnes of garri.

    “In Dutsin-Ma Katsina State we will be moving 17,500 metric tonnes and out of this we have 12500 of maize and 5000 of Sorghum.

    “In Adamawa also we have 12,500 metric tonnes of Maize and 5000 metric tonnes of Sorghum and finally in Ilesha we will be moving 1000 metric tonnes of garri.”

  • Thugs invade Bayelsa warehouse, cart away bags of garri

    Thugs invade Bayelsa warehouse, cart away bags of garri

    Some alleged hoodlums have carried away bags of garri from the Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency’s warehouse at Igbogene, Yenagoa, that are being distributed as relief materials to cushion the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

    Punch gathered that the boys moved over 150 bags of garri out of the warehouse and carted them away through a bush path.

    The state government had, on Thursday, commenced the distribution of the bags of garri to the three local government areas of Yenagoa, Southern Ijaw and Kolokuma/Opokuma in the first phase of the exercise under the supervision of the SEMA Chairman, Zedekiah Izu.

    Izu, who is also a member of the state’s COVID-19 Task Force chaired by Governor Douye Diri, had explained on Thursday that the staple was meant for the victims of the 2019 flood in the state but the National Emergency Management Agency delayed bringing it to the state.

    He said the governor directed that the bags of garri be distributed to the deprived to reduce the poverty being suffered by the people as a result of the lockdown imposed on the state to curb the spread of coronavirus.

    The pilfered bags of garri were said to be allocated to the Sagbama and Ekeremor local government areas.

    A witness who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “The boys came threatening to deal with anybody who tried to stop them from having their COVID-19 palliatives.”

    The incident was said to have caused pandemonium in the area and the warehouse was forced to be closed to prevent the looting of the remaining bags of garri.

     

     

  • Grandma strips, chains, baths grandchildren with pepper for eating ‘garri’ without permission

    Grandma strips, chains, baths grandchildren with pepper for eating ‘garri’ without permission

    The Police in Rivers State have arrested a grandmother for allegedly stripping two hungry grandchildren naked, beat and bath them with pepper for eating ‘garri’ with sugar as a meal without her consent.

    According to reports, the police arrested the 52-year-old woman simply called Mama Vera for physically abusing and maltreating her two grandchildren between the ages of 7 and 8 at Mgbuoba in Obio/Akpor Local Government area of Rivers State.

     

    Mama Vera was said to have stripped the grandchildren naked, doused them with pepper, tied their hands to their back and locked them in a room because they took garri with sugar without her permission.

    Eyewitnesses said concerned neighbours had to forcefully break into the house when they heard the wailing children calling for help after their grandmother had tied their hands and legs stripped them naked and bath them with ground pepper and left home for work.

    Mama Vera was also accused of denying the children their rights to go to school.

    Meanwhile, a lawyer, Precious Johnmark, who also witnessed the incident has called on the Rivers State Police Command and the International Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA, to follow up the case and ensure the prosecution of Mama Vera for allegedly violating the rights of the girls.

  • Lassa Fever: Okorocha warns against consumption of ‘raw garri’ as death toll rises

    Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State on Wednesday warned residents against consumption of ‘raw garri’ (cassava flakes) as three persons were confirmed dead in the state as a result of Lassa fever.

    The killer disease is rapidly spreading across many parts of the country.

    Seven cases of Lassa fever patients were also confirmed in the state.

    “This is not the period for people to drink raw garri because you know garri is not cooked and people just pour water on garri and drink and when rat has urinated on the garri. So people are advised as much as possible to ensure that their food is properly cooked,” the governor said.

    He said the cases were recorded in some hospitals, “somewhere in Orlu and some other parts of the State.”

    The first Lassa fever case this year was confirmed in Ebonyi state more than a week ago.

    Four people including three health workers died from the infection in the state.

    The disease have further spread to Kogi, Ondo and some other parts of the contry leaving death tolls.

    According to Mr. Okorocha, the speed at which the disease is spreading is worrisome.

    “This morning we woke up to hear that Lassa fever has killed three persons and we also have seven cases of Lassa fever patients and this number is too large for a State. And we are concerned about the speed of spread.

    “These cases were recorded in some hospitals, somewhere in Orlu and some other parts of the State. For this reason, we kindly advise that people should avoid over crowded areas, lessen the shaking of hands, and body contacts at this period,” the governor said.

    “The State is on it. The Ministry of Health has been adequately informed to take all necessary steps to curtail the spread.

    “We will do everything humanly possible to make sure that this spread is curtailed. While government is taking this action, people should keep a clean and healthy environment at this time, avoid so many children staying in one place while government should handle the burial of those that died of Lassa fever. As you know, Lassa fever is deadly but if any discovery is made, lives can be saved,” he added.

    Mr. Okorocha said all the confirmed cases have been put in isolation.

    “All the identified cases especially in Orlu, have been isolated and we have told the doctors not to take any more patients and even those in the hospital would be quarantined until such a time we have confirmed they are now positive in any form or shape.”

     

  • Students decries hike in price of garri in Ilorin

    Some students in Ilorin have decried the sudden increase in price of garri, commonly referred to as “students’ food’’.

    The students said it had become almost impossible to have a day’s meal with the increase in the staple food.

    A student of Kwara State Polytechnic, Dayo Abiodun, said that it was difficult to feed with the sudden increase in the price of Garri.

    He said a bowl of garri which was sold at N150, now sold for N240 in the market, while a cup now sells at N30.

    “In the past, you see your roommates sharing garri among themselves freely but since the end of last year, no student can afford to willingly give out a cup of the commodity.

    “Garri is the most friendly and easily accessible food for us as students but now it has become scarce commodity in the hostel,’’ he said.

    Another student, Suleman Sheriff, said that garri used to be his fast food to quench hunger but the increase in its price had changed that.

    “I was surprised to see the price of garri going up uncontrollably. Students are not finding it funny at the moment because it is our favourite food.

    “We are not even talking about rice, beans, yam, palm oil or groundnut oil, garri should not have gone this far,’’ he said.

    A student of the University of Ilorin, Kemi Adedeji, who described garri as the most stable food for students, said something must be done to bring down its price.

    “No matter the situation in the country, the price of garri must be controlled for the sake of students and the average Nigerians, ‘’ she said.

    Another student of the University of Ilorin, Kola Alabi, described the hike in price of garri as unjust, adding that this had only created a lot of hardships for the students.

    “We students mostly survive on garri and now that the price is beyond our reach, what else do they want us to feed on,’’ he lamented.