The Chairman of a Makurdi Market Traders Association, Yusuf Abdullahi is currently cooling off in a police cell for his role in selling out COVID-19 palliatives meant for Benue traders union.
Mr Abdullahi is said to have coordinated the diversion of palliatives meant for distribution to traders at Wurukum market in Benue State, to Kano where they were sold.
Revealing these to newsmen in Markudi, the commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mrs. Ngunan Addingi as well as the security adviser to Governor Samuel Ortom, Lt. Col. Paul Hemba, condemned the act in its entirety.
Lt. Col Hemba explained that the palliatives were given to Alhaji Yusuf Abdullahi who hailed from Kano, for distribution to members of Wurukum Market Association.
However, “some of the traders sold the palliatives instead of using them, stressing that their need for money at the time was more pressing than the desire for palliatives”.
“When the palliatives were discovered in Kano market, the police in Kano made some arrests. Alhaji Abdullahi who is chairman of Wurukum Market Association here in Makurdi was also arrested and the investigation is ongoing.
“Investigation is ongoing. The Commissioner of Police here in Benue state has also been involved.
“We informed him in writing and he is also carrying out an investigation into the incident and when he is done with the investigation, he will brief us and we will also get back to you on this issue,” he told newsmen.
