Over stealing and the sale of palliatives, DSS arrests officers from Nasarawa and other criminals
The items distributed by the federal government to cushion the impact of the high cost of fuel have reportedly been stolen in many states of the federation, worsening the situation of vulnerable Nigerians as they struggle with a high cost of living brought on by the administration’s decision to remove fuel subsidies.
On Tuesday, the Department of State Services acknowledged that many of the supplies distributed by the government to help Nigerians in need had already been taken over by high-ranking officials in several states of the federation.
Dr. Peter Afunanya, the DSS spokesman, said in a statement made available to Vanguard on Tuesday that some unnamed Nasarawa State Emergency Management Agency (NASEMA) officials and their associates who were dealing in palliatives had since been captured and were being punished by the proper authorities when they were caught.
According to the statement, NASEMA personnel and their accomplices were busted peddling the palliatives to unsuspecting members of the public at the Modern Market in Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa State, for their own financial gain.
The DSS launched its operation in response to allegations from various state governments that the federal government’s palliatives release for those states had been misdirected.
Following the accusations, the DSS claimed it launched an investigation, caught some of the offenders in the act, and recovered the stolen goods.
While this operation is still going on in other states, the Service, for example, has detained a suspected criminal organization in Nasarawa State that is thought to be in charge of stealing and selling medications intended for the area’s most vulnerable residents.
“NASEMA officials and their comrades at the marketplaces, particularly Modern Market Lafia, where the commodities were being resold, are among the suspects. The suspects have, however, been turned over for the proper disciplinary actions, according to Afunanya.
The DSS spokesman warned that “the Service calls on members of the public who may have knowledge relating to this rising trend to report same to the relevant security agencies for necessary action.”
