Residents of Osogbo and its environs have raised concerns over the sudden closure of a food distribution company after reportedly paying millions of naira for food items sold at discounted prices.
The company, whose name was not immediately disclosed, had attracted customers with packages containing essential food items, including rice, cooking oil, spaghetti and semovita, which were reportedly offered at prices below prevailing market rates.
Several customers were said to have made advance payments, expecting to collect their food packages on scheduled distribution dates.
However, trouble reportedly started when the company’s warehouse was found locked, leaving customers unable to collect their orders or establish contact with the operators.
According to information gathered by our correspondent, some affected customers converged on the Odi-Olowo area of Osogbo on Monday to seek explanations and demand refunds for the money they had paid.
Police personnel were also reportedly deployed to the area to maintain order as the number of concerned customers increased.
One of the affected customers, Owolabi Kafayat, reportedly said she and others joined the scheme because of the opportunity to purchase essential food items at cheaper prices.
She said concerns arose when the expected distribution failed to take place and efforts to reach the company’s operators proved unsuccessful.
The sudden closure has left affected customers questioning the whereabouts of the company’s management and the fate of the money they paid.
Some of the customers alleged that millions of naira had been paid into the scheme by residents. However, the exact amount involved, the number of affected customers and the circumstances surrounding the company’s closure could not be independently verified as of the time of filing this report.
The development has also prompted calls for an investigation to establish what happened to the company and the payments made by its customers.
For many residents, the attraction was the prospect of buying staple food items at significantly reduced prices amid the rising cost of household necessities.
The abrupt closure, however, has left customers demanding answers and seeking the return of their money if the promised food supplies can no longer be delivered.
As of the time of reporting, there was no official statement from the company explaining the closure or responding to the allegations raised by the affected customers.
The situation remains under scrutiny as the residents await clarification on the company’s operations, the status of their payments and whether the food packages they paid for will eventually be supplied.