Chaos erupted in the Odi-Olowo area of Osogbo, the Osun State capital, on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, after angry residents breached and looted a warehouse belonging to the Global Food Initiative following allegations that its operators fled with millions of naira in deposited funds. ​
The incident, which unfolded around 4:00 PM, followed days of mounting tension. Affected customers had converged on the scheme’s Odi-Olowo premises on Monday and Tuesday morning after the operators failed to open for business or fulfill promised deliveries of discounted foodstuffs, including bags of rice, noodles, and groundnut oil.
​The Global Food Initiative had operated a pay-now-pick-up-later model, attracting hundreds of local buyers by offering food items at prices significantly below prevailing market rates. One customer, identified as Mistura, revealed she deposited ₦300,000 to purchase 11 bags of rice at a subsidised rate of ₦27,000 per bag.
Another victim lamented that she had paid for foodstuffs intended for her stepdaughter’s upcoming wedding ceremony, only to find the operators unreachable. ​
By Tuesday afternoon, as frustration peaked and the operators remained absent, an agitated crowd forced open the warehouse doors despite a heavy downpour and appeals from the landlord for patience.
Scores of individuals carted away the remaining food stock stored inside the facility. ​Police operatives dispatched to the scene fired teargas canisters into the air in an attempt to disperse the crowd and restore order.
​Confirming the situation, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Osun State Command, Abiodun Ojelabi, stated that security personnel were monitoring the location to prevent further breakdown of law and order.
​”We are monitoring the situation to avoid crisis,” Ojelabi said. “As of the time officers arrived at the scene, no victim had formally come forward to lodge an official report, though an investigation into the matter has commenced.
We urge affected individuals to come forward to assist our investigation.” ​Law enforcement authorities maintain a presence in the Odi-Olowo area to secure the premises, while investigations into the whereabouts of the organizers continue.
