Lockdown: Youths Protest Over Failed Food Distribution In Ile-Ife

Residents of the ancient town of Ile-Ife, Osun State on Wednesday stormed the popular Lagere Junction to stage a peaceful protest over the failure of a group that had earlier promised to distribute food items.

The group had recently announced its readiness to distribute food items to the residents of Ile-Ife to cushion the effect of the stay-at-home order by the state government to curb the spread of the dreaded Coronavirus pandemic.

It was gathered that the aggrieved residents, whom are majorly youths marched through Lagere, Iremo and Sabo areas, and terminated it at the premises of a private radio station in the town, Crown FM, on which the public announcement of the food donation had been aired the previous day.

Policemen deployed to the scene were said to have arrested some of the protesters and dispersed others.

The General Manager, Crown FM, Ile Ife, Israel Ogunlade, said the protesters accused him of giving them false information about the plan by a group to distribute food items to cushion the effect of restriction of movement ordered by government to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Ogunlade said, “A group, had announced through my station that, it would distribute food to residents today.

“Unfortunately when those handling the distribution brought the food to where people had been told to assemble, they were overwhelmed by the numbers of the residents. What they had could barely go round.”

“That was what led to protest. They were shouting and everything was in the state of disorderliness before the police arrived.”