News
Prices of perishable items crash in Yobe, Borno, Adamawa
The prices of perishable items have recorded a fall in some major towns in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
NAN’s checks at Perishable Items Market, Damaturu in Yobe, revealed that the prices have dropped by about 50 per cent.
A big basket of tomatoes sold at N120,000 between April and May now costs N40,000, while a small basket previously sold at N75,000 is now going for N18,000.
A bag of pepper sold at N170,000 in the same period now costs N82,000, while a bag of pepper goes for N70,000 as against N75,000 sold in July.
Similarly, a bag of Okro which was sold at N50,000 within the period under review, now goes for N25,000.
However, prices of onions have increased as a bag of the item which cost between N28,000 and N30,000 three to four months ago, now rose to N50,000.
The market’s Chairman, Alhaji Muazu Abbas, attributed the drop to the arrival of new items in the market.
“Prices of perishable items usually drop whenever harvests are made and new goods arrive in the market, but the prices rise when there is a shortage of goods,” he said.
However, the price of yam has skyrocketed at Bayan Tasha Market in the metropolis.
NAN checks revealed that two small tubers of yam sold at N1,500 in 2023, now cost N4,000, while three big tubers that went for N3,500 within the period, now go for N15,000.
When contacted, the Yam Sellers Leader in the market, Alhaji Habibu Mohammed, blamed the sharp rise on the shortage of supply of the items to the market.
He also blamed the hike on an increase in the cost of transporting the items to the market from Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa and Plateau states.
On his part, Alhaji Usman Ngari, Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Yobe Chapter, expressed concern over the high cost of establishing food crop storage facilities.
“Storage facilities preserve crops and increase profit, especially in cultivation of perishable items.
“Unfortunately, establishing such factories is capital intensive and most of us do not have that kind of money,” he said.
Ngari called on the government at all levels to support farmers with capital to acquire storage facilities to boost their productivity and income levels.
In Borno, the prices of perishable goods are the same as Yobe, but the traders said they are still looking forward to more fall in prices in a few months when farmers will start harvesting tomatoes and other perishables in the state.
“The supplies we are getting now are from Kaduna and Kano,” Isa Mohammed, a dealer in Maiduguri vegetable market said.
Mustapha Usman, a grain dealer said the prices of grains produced in Borno like local rice, beans, maize, and millet have continued to remain high and could only come down when harvest commenced in October.
Also in Adamawa, while there was a fall in prices of perishables due to harvest, that of grains have continued to remain high.
Alhaji Aliyu Mohammed, the Chairman of the Adamawa Chapter of the Nigeria Small Scale Industrialists, noted that a bag of 100kg of maize that used to sell for N60,000 last year by this time is now N90,000.
“That of white bean that sold for N75,000 is now N160,000.”
“We just have to wait and see what will happen when the harvest commences in a few weeks.”
(NAN)
The First Lady, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu, on Saturday, refuted reports that she will be leading a seven-day national prayer for Nigeria.
This followed a report last week that Mrs Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Mrs Nuhu Ribadu, will spearhead a national prayer session to tackle the country’s numerous challenges.
The reports quoted the Director-General of the National Prayer Forum, Segun Afolorunikan, announcing the event in Abuja.
Afolorunikan had said the initiative, coordinated with Christian and Muslim religious leaders, intends to seek divine intervention for the country’s socio-economic and security issues, under the theme ‘Seeking the Intervention of God in Nigeria’s Affairs.’
“Christians will meet at the National Ecumenical Centre for a week of intense prayer, with prayer warriors from various denominations focusing their efforts on the nation’s adversities,” said the convener.
However, the First Lady has denied knowing any such arrangement saying a call for prayer must be done “willingly, conscientiously and correctly.”
Mrs Tinubu’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mrs Busola Kukoyi, conveyed this in a statement she signed Saturday titled ‘First Lady of Nigeria Oluremi Tinubu, CON refutes organising national prayer.’
It read, “This is to clarify and inform the general public that the First Lady of Nigeria is not organising a national prayer.
“The news making rounds in some conventional and social media platforms is unfounded and misleading.
“Consequently, anyone who might have come across the purported news of the joint National Prayer for Nigeria should disregard it as false.”
Kukoyi said the First Lady, a Christian and strong advocate of prayer and praying for Nigeria, believes that prayer is an act that must be done willingly, conscientiously and correctly.
“She also believes that praying for Nigeria is the responsibility of every Nigerian, irrespective of religious belief, political affiliation, tribe or tongue.
“Members of the public are advised to verify the authenticity of any news or event involving the First Lady of Nigeria or her office through official channels,” the statement concluded.
A building of 25 shops has been gutted by fire in the early hours of Saturday in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital.
According to the state fire service, the incident occurred at Adeta roundabout at about 02.39 hours.
A statement in Ilorin on Saturday by the spokesman of the service, Hassan Adekunle, said the firefighters, upon arrival, found a block of about 25 shops engulfed in flames.
“Thanks to the swift action and bravery of the Kwara State fire service officers, only three shops suffered damage, including a soft drinks and alcohol shop.
“Preliminary investigations indicated that the fire was caused by a power surge,” the statement disclosed.
The Director of the State Fire Service, Prince John Falade Olumuyiwa, expressed sympathy for the affected shop owners, offering prayers for the restoration of their losses.
He also urged the public to prioritize safety and ensure all electrical appliances are unplugged when not in use.
The newly emerged terror group known as Lakurawa, is reportedly offering as much as one million naira to young men in exchange for their allegiance.
This was made known on Saturday by Zagazola Makama, a Lake Chad Basin counterterrorism and insurgency expert, in a post on his X handle.
Makama disclosed that an impeccable source informed him that Lakurawa, allegedly composed of individuals from Mali, Chad, Libya, Niger, and Burkina Faso, was actively recruiting local youths in Sokoto through substantial financial incentives.
He stated that according to witnesses’ accounts, the financial lure is part of an aggressive recruitment campaign aimed at attracting followers to their cause.
The security expert said that Lakurawa, unlike traditional criminal gangs, reportedly adhere to extremist ideologies linked to the Khawarij sect, similar to the beliefs of Boko Haram.
Makama added: “Local sources suggest that they employ a combination of financial incentives and ideological influence to gain support among vulnerable communities.
“Beyond the recruitment, the Lakurawa reportedly confront and expel bandits and confiscate their cattle in areas under their control.
Watch video below:
https://twitter.com/ZagazOlaMakama/status/1855319733282758848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
First Lady denies leading national prayer
25 Shops destroyed as fire guts building in Ilorin
New terror group Lakurawa offers N1m incentives to recruit Sokoto youths + Video
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