Metro
Mile 12 market chair links high cost of tomato and pepper to Insecurity and others
The Chairman of the Mile 12 International Market in Lagos, Shehu Usman Jubrin, says the recent high cost of tomato, pepper, and other perishable items is a result of widespread insecurity in the country and other factors.
The prices of the perishables have tripled, raising concerns among Nigerians.
In a chat with Channels TV this morning June 17, Usman said the insecurity in the north is a major factor for the hike in the cost of the items.
“The bone of contention, the real fact is just insecurity. Let me tell you, that’s the truth. And there’s absolutely nothing the country will do. This price hike will continue. They are still buying tomatoes, at the rate of N1,000 for three pieces. Ninety-nine per cent of the people in IDP camps are farmers. They don’t know anything apart from farming – both male and female. The people who are on the farm and are farming with one eye closed are just about 1,500 out of like 5,000 farmers we have across the whole country.”
According to him, some of the farmers negotiate with and pay bandits before they can go to their farms to harvest the products.
“In those places where you are getting all these items, there are negotiations between them and the bandits who ask them, ‘How much are you going to pay me to harvest and bring to the market?’So, for as long as those people are in IDP camps, the country will continue to be in trouble in terms of food items.” he said
He also linked it to other factors including supply shortage from the northern part of Nigeria to the south.
“Let me just talk about tomatoes first. From November, December, January, February, March, and April, up to May, you have tomatoes from the North.
You have danja, danjumi, kadawa, Kano and then Katsina states. This is the off-season now, so we expect tomatoes from Ilaro, Ogbomosho, Abeokuta, and Osun to come to Lagos, you know, and also part of Cameroon. That is a kind of substitute for the northern one.
But unfortunately, it’s late: the one from Cameroon, the one from Abeokuta and Ogbomosho. And as we approach the festive period, tomatoes will be expensive. The northern tomatoes are finished and we don’t have substitutes from the south.”
He also blamed the situation on pests, saying diseases have led to low yields.
Three persons, two confirmed to be from the same family, are feared drowned in a boat mishap in Niger State.
The incident occured in Lapai Local Government Area of the state.
Vanguard gathered that the boat was overloaded with over 200 bags of rice and capsized about 9p.m., on the fateful day as a result of heavy windstorm.
While some claimed that many people drowned during the incident, a source confirmed that only three persons travelled in the boat because the boat was already overloaded and that they all drowned.
It was further gathered that the bags of rice were purchased in Lapai council and were being ferried to Lokoja, Kogi State for sale.
The source said: “The boat was overloaded with bags of rice from our area-Lapai thereby occupying all available spaces in the canoe. Two of those who went on the journey are of the same parents and believed to have most of the bags of rice being transported for sale.
“The bags of rice are more than 200 and the storm which started on their way must have also contributed to the sudden accident.”
Public Relations Officer, Niger State Emergency Management Agency, NSEMA, Hussaini Ibrahim, when contacted said the agency was yet to get details of the incident and promised to issue a statement later.
Corpses of those feared dead were yet to be recovered at press time.
The Adamawa State Police Command has arrested a Herbalist identified as Murtala Musa, over the death and mutilation of an 11-year-old boy in Kodomun village, Demsa Local Government Area.
SP Suleiman Yahaya Nguroje, Police Public Relations Officer in a statement said the incident was reported to the police in Demsa on the 13th of April, 2025, by the Village Head of Kodomun and one Fancy Alifas, the Mother of their Victim.
“She reported that her son, Yangapwa David, aged 11, was taken to the said herbalist for treatment but unfortunately died while in his custody.”
According to her, arrangements were made to convey the body home, during which time the corpse was left in the herbalist’s room.
Shockingly, upon her return, she discovered that her son’s left eye had been removed.
“Upon receipt of the report, police operatives swiftly visited the scene and arrested the suspect.”
The Commissioner of Police, Adamawa State Command, *CP Dankombo Morris assured members of the public that the Command will leave no stone unturned in ensuring justice is served.
The suspect remains in custody as the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, has been detailed to conduct a discreet investigation.
The Bauchi State Police Command has confirmed the death of a man identified simply as Peter, who was killed by a mob in Bauchi metropolis over allegations of dog theft.
This was disclosed in a statement released on Thursday by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, CSP Ahmed Wakili.
According to the statement, the incident occurred at about 11:30 p.m. on April 9, 2025, and involved a mob assault on two individuals accused of stealing a dog.
Wakili said the Commissioner of Police, CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu, has ordered a comprehensive investigation into what he described as an “egregious act of jungle justice.”
The second victim, identified as Dokagk Danladi, aged 38, was also attacked by a group of youths in a secluded area behind Lushi. He sustained severe machete wounds to the head and was rushed to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi, where he is currently receiving medical treatment.
Peter, whose surname is yet to be identified, was found at the scene and was confirmed dead by medical personnel.
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the area has led a team of detectives to the crime scene to gather evidence and investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
CP Aliyu condemned the act, describing it as barbaric and a threat to the nation’s legal framework. He warned residents against taking the law into their own hands.
“No individual has the authority to brutalize a suspect. Anyone apprehended for any alleged crime should be handed over to law enforcement agencies for investigation and prosecution,” the Commissioner stated.
He appealed to the public to remain calm and cooperate with the police by providing relevant information that could aid the investigation.
“The Command is resolute in its pursuit of justice and is committed to ensuring that all those involved in this heinous act are brought to book,” Aliyu added.
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