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Kebbi State government has inaugurated a 13-member panel tasked with probing the incidents of theft and devising strategies to prevent their recurrence.
Chaired by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Alhaji Shehu Mu’azu, the committee has been given a five-day mandate to conduct a thorough investigation into the looting, which saw foodstuffs being unlawfully taken by hoodlums from the government warehouse in Birnin Kebbi.
The decision to set up the committee was made during a State Executive Council meeting chaired by the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Umar Abubakar-Tafida in Benin Kebbi on Monday.
The council also approved a substantial subsidy of N3.34 billion to alleviate the financial burden on 3,344 Muslims embarking on the Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
This subsidy, amounting to N1 million per pilgrim, was initiated to offset the increased Hajj fare, attributed to fluctuating naira-dollar exchange rates.
Commissioner for Information and Culture, Alhaji Yakubu Ahmad, stated that this gesture underlined Governor Nasir Idris’s commitment to upholding religious values and fostering societal harmony.
Out of about N2m requested by NAHCON as additional fares, the Kebbi government has offset N1m for each pilgrim while the remaining balance should be paid by individual pilgrims to complete payment.
“Pilgrims who have completed payment of the fares would also enjoy the N1m magnanimity from the government.” he said.
Addressing concerns over the looting incidents, Ahmad pointed out the establishment of the investigative committee, which aims to identify the root causes of the looting, apprehend the perpetrators, and propose preventive measures.