Osogbo food scheme: Hundreds stranded as operators vanish with millions of naira
Hundreds of residents were left stranded in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, after operators of a discounted foodstuff scheme reportedly shut their premises and became unreachable. The customers, some of whom arrived as early as 7:30am, had gone to collect food items they paid for a week earlier. However, they met the building locked, while […]
Resident hundreds in the Osun State capital, Osogbo, found themselves stranded when operators of a discounted food scheme abruptly disappeared with millions of naira. Some arrived at the site as early as 7:30 am, only to discover their locked premises and unreachable phone numbers. The scheme, called Global Food Initiative, began operations about three weeks ago.
Customers had to pay upfront for items such as rice, oil, and spaghetti, which were to be collected seven days later. One customer noted that a 50kg bag of rice typically sells for around ₦55,000 in the market, far below the ₦27,000 charged by the scheme. In the scheme’s first week, customers were reportedly satisfied and attracted more residents.
However, on Monday, over 200 people gathered at the site demanding their goods or refunds. Some had paid significant sums for their purchases, including one who paid ₦300,000 for 11 bags of rice and another who paid ₦1.2 million for items to be used at her stepdaughter’s wedding. Many affected customers were traders reselling the food items.
A private radio presenter had warned residents about the scheme’s fraudulence on Sunday, leading to the deployment of police officers to prevent chaos. The local police confirmed their presence only after arriving at the scene and stated they were monitoring the situation to avert any crisis. The scheme’s operators reportedly allowed customers to buy more bags in the second week, but the reason behind the abrupt closure remains unclear.
The exact number of affected customers and the total amount collected could not be independently verified as of the press time.
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