By Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

Scores of hoodlums on Monday disrupted the sharing of palliatives at the Itoro headquarters of Ijebu-Ode Local Government Area of Ogun State.

They sacked the council officials and sent packing the intended beneficiaries of the items.

The hoodlums plundered the food items, which included brands of noodles and spaghetti.

The Nation learnt that the hoodlums also seized the local government’s Transition Committee Chairman Gbenga Olugbile and commandeered him to take them round each of the offices to ascertain there were no palliatives hidden in any of them.

It was also learnt that the local government was alerted to the impending invasion of the hoodlums and the town’s urchins.

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The miscreants were said to be planning to attack the warehouse and loot the palliatives, compelling the officials to arrange a hurried distribution.

But the hoodlums invaded the venue and carted away the items.

An official of the local government, who spoke in confidence, told The Nation that Olugbile and other officials were supervising the distribution when the hoodlums invaded the Itoro venue, disrupted the process, overwhelmed the security personnel and took the items away.

It was learnt that the same scenario played out in Ifo and Sagamu local government areas, where hoodlums also stormed the venues and hijacked the palliatives.

A resident of Sagamu and youth leader, Kayode Okeowo, said some people stormed to the venue and turned it into a rowdy affair.

The development, he said, paved the way for the disorderly atmosphere that followed.

Ogun State Police Command spokesman Abimbola Oyeyemi described the development as “hijacking” and not “looting”.

He added that the security personnel on the ground restrained themselves from arresting the looters to prevent a “stampede”.