Thieves Raid Popular Market in Ibadan for Tomatoes, Pepper and Food Materials

Screenshot of the newspaper publication of the story 

These are certainly not the best of times for Nigerians as economic hardship sweeps the masses off their feet following the failing prices of crude oil in the international market, according to the Nigerian Tribune.


Ask both Mrs Muinat Ariyo and Rosemary Oluwatoyin Oginni pepper and foodstuffs sellers who have their shops at Awotan area of Ibadan, they would tell you that the situation in the country has become intolerable and is drifting dangerously towards anarchy, as people have now resorted to breaking into shops to steal foodstuffs like tomatoes, pepper, rice and beans.

Their reactions might look somewhat extreme but hearing their recent experiences would suggest that the poor economic situation in the country, which has forced hunger down the throats of many citizens, is taking a terrible toll on the lives of the people.

On Saturday, May 14, Mrs Ariyo’s shop was burgled and baskets of pepper worth over N63,000 were stolen in addition to 20 litres of palm oil.

“They carted away three baskets of pepper – bawa, tatashe and rodo. I also lost a big container of fresh tomatoes, 20 litres of palm oil and a carton of tomato paste,” she said.

Interestingly, two days earlier, Mrs Oginni, who sells rice, semolina as well as other foodstuffs, a few metres from Ariyo’s shop, arrived at her shop to meet it empty. Some individuals had come in the night to cart away bags of rice and other items she just bought. “The goods were supplied to me on Wednesday. You could imagine my shock when I discovered the following day that my shop has been burgled.

“The goods they stole; bags of rice, semolina, poundo yam, wheat and vegetable oil were worth about N160,000,” Mrs Oginni said. But why foodstuffs? Why would anyone burgle shops to steal tomatoes, pepper, rice and beans? Could the crimes have been committed because of hunger or the rising costs of those items? Mrs Ariyo could not understand the reason for the theft. Such an incident, according to her, has never happened before.

“Since I was born, I have never seen or heard of oil or pepper being stolen. However, one thing I know is that anyone who can steal such things must be battling with hunger and poverty and the person became desperate. Right now, I’m not in the right frame of mind; I feel so bitter because I’m in great debt,” she said.

She told Sunday Tribune how she borrowed the money to buy her wares and the shock she felt when she came back the following day to meet all the goods gone. “I borrowed money from our thrift society for this pepper business, because I didn’t want to be idle, especially considering the current state of the economy.

After I collected the money, I went to Shasha market in Ibadan, Oyo State, to buy tomatoes and pepper. As was my usual practice, I left the goods at my shop, but by the time I came to my shop the following day, which was on Saturday, I discovered that my shop had been broken into, with all the goods I bought the previous day missing.

Even the palm oil, which was sold to me on credit, was missing. “Right now, I don’t know how I will pay back the money. In fact, the payment is expected weekly and I don’t think those who borrowed me money will understand. They took pity on me; that was why they borrowed me the money in the first place.”