In light of the escalating challenges of hardship and the ongoing looting of warehouses across the nation, Prof Joy Ezeilo, the Executive Director of Women Aid Collective (WACOL), has recommended that the government initiate the prompt implementation of food banks, food stamps, and various social security and safety net measures.
In a statement shared on her social media accounts on Monday, Ezeilo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), conveyed her concern about the recent looting incident in Abuja, attributing it to widespread hunger and extreme poverty.
She said “The severe hunger and extreme poverty faced by many poor and vulnerable Nigerians can push them towards criminal activities.
“I remember a case where I defended a 17-year-old orphan girl on appeal. She had been sentenced to three years in prison for stealing cassava from a farm. She was hungry and desperate, yet the magistrate still applied the law.
“However, I pleaded as a pro bono defence lawyer, then representing the Society for the Welfare of Women Prisoners, SWEWP, for her to be acquitted based on her age, being a first-time offender and the circumstances that led her to commit the crime.”
She further stated that Nigerians should be aware that stealing is a crime and if caught, the perpetrators will be held accountable according to the penal laws.
According to Ezeilo, “The poor have limited choices and often must choose between a rock and a hard place. Notwithstanding, stealing and converting goods and food shouldn’t be an option.
“Now is the time for the government at all levels, to work in partnership with non-profit organisations and the private sector to consider implementing food banks, food stamps, and other social security and safety net options to provide food for the poor and most vulnerable Nigerians.
“This is especially important for children, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and the elderly”.
