A distribution of Ramadan relief items, reportedly provided by Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, descended into chaos in Gombe State as youths looted the food supplies.
Seyi Tinubu has been conducting visits to northern states during Ramadan, participating in Iftar meals and launching feeding programs for underprivileged residents. These initiatives have faced mixed reactions on social media, with some praising the efforts and others criticizing them as insufficient, advocating for more sustainable forms of support.
Shamsuddeen Bala Mohammed, the son of the Bauchi State Governor, publicly criticized Seyi’s approach, urging him to focus on long-term empowerment programs. He emphasized the need for job creation, business startup capital, and ICT training, rather than temporary food handouts.
“We, the youths of Bauchi, don’t need rice and food in nylon bags during Ramadan,” Mohammed stated. “Teach our youths how to fish rather than feed them for one day. They are not beggars.”
While Seyi Tinubu has yet to visit all northern states, his Ramadan relief supplies arrived in Gombe State, leading to the reported looting. Video footage circulating online shows youths forcibly removing cartons of food items from a parked truck and distributing them among themselves. The cartons contained staples such as rice, sugar, oil, salt, and pasta.
Two trucks, carrying a total of 3,500 cartons of these items, were allocated for distribution in Gombe. While one truck’s contents were reportedly distributed, the second truck was intercepted by a group of youths who emptied its contents.
Seyi Tinubu’s visits to the north, officially described as Ramadan outreach and a Renewed Hope Youth Engagement initiative, are viewed by some as political maneuvers to bolster his father’s support in the region. There are also allegations that individuals excluded from an earlier distribution at the state APC secretariat intentionally disrupted the second distribution. The APC has not yet commented on the incident.
