Tensions flared in Gombe State as a group of youths looted Ramadan palliatives meant for distribution under an initiative led by Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The incident, captured on video, showed young people scrambling to seize food items from a truck parked by the roadside.
Seyi Tinubu has been visiting northern states during Ramadan, joining residents and political leaders for Iftar and launching feeding programs for the less privileged. However, the initiative has sparked controversy, with critics arguing that the region needs long-term empowerment programs rather than temporary food distributions.
Among the critics is Shamsuddeen Bala Mohammed, son of the Bauchi State Governor, who took to Facebook to voice his concerns. He urged Seyi Tinubu to focus on providing employment, financial aid for businesses, and ICT training rather than distributing food items. “Teach our youths how to fish rather than feed them for one day. They are not beggars,” he wrote.
According to reports, 3,500 cartons of food items—including rice, sugar, oil, salt, and pasta—were allocated to Gombe. While one truckload was successfully distributed, the second truck was intercepted by angry youths who emptied its contents. Some sources suggest that those excluded from the official distribution, which took place at the state APC Secretariat, may have sabotaged the process.
Observers believe Seyi Tinubu’s Ramadan outreach is more than just a charity effort. Many see it as a strategic move to strengthen his father’s political influence in the north, where growing opposition to his administration is emerging.
So far, the APC has not commented on the incident.
