Kano Anti-Graft Agency Raids Supermarkets Over Price Hike Of Essential Commodities

Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission on Thursday monitored and raided warehouses hoarding essential commodities and supermarkets selling above agreed prices for items such as Sugar, Spaghetti, flour and Macaroni.

Solacebase recalled that the Commission and Marketers at Singer Market signed an agreement on May 5^th not to hoard nor sell essential commodities above market price. This was based on the discovery that a bag of Sugar that was sold for N16,000 immediately with the lockdown over COVID-19 and the Ramadan fasting skyrocket to N28,000.

This led to the state governor, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje directing the commission to go after traders hoarding food items and in one swoop at two warehouses 79,645 cartons of Spaghetti was discovered, 19, 500 bags of Flour, 37,000 cartons of Macaroni, with  5,120 bags of Sugar while the same products were not available at the markets.

On Thursday, the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission team led by the Chairman, Barr. Muhuyi Magaji Rimigado raided some major super- Stores to ascertain that they comply with the agreement of not selling a bag of Sugar above N17,500 with other commodities.

During the raid, Barr. Muhuyi Magaji Rimigado said the exercise was carried out based on the complaints of residents over hike in prices of essential commodities that led the governor to order a crackdown on the offenders.

Read Also:COVID-19: Kano Antigraft Agency Establishes Task Force To Monitor Palliative Distribution, Others(Opens in a new browser tab)

” The Commission was directed by the governor in accordance with the provision of regulations 11(2) (3) & (4) of Kano State Public Health(Infectious Disease) Regulations 2020. It, therefore, invoked its powers as contained under the provisions of Sections 9 &15 of its enabling law and lunched an investigation into the matter, ”said Muhuyi.

Some of the major super Stores raided were Jifatu store on Zaria Road and Sahad Store on Zoo road.

However, after the raiding, the Chief Operating Officer of  Jifatu Super Stores was directed to be at the Commission on Friday over non-compliance as a bag of Sugar was sold for N25,000 and Sahad Store was closed.