Residents of Auchi, the headquarters of Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, were thrown into confusion and outrage on Thursday morning after a trader allegedly disappeared with funds collected from locals under the pretense of selling subsidised food items.
The trader was said to have sold several bags of rice at ₦20,000 each — a price well below the market rate — and collected payments from over 1,000 residents. Buyers were also promised additional essential goods at discounted rates as part of what was widely believed to be a community relief initiative.
However, when the residents returned on Thursday to collect their goods, they found the shop completely deserted. There was no sign of the trader or his team, and all attempts to reach the organisers of the scheme proved futile.
Eyewitnesses at the scene told reporters that the shop had been vandalised in the aftermath of the incident, as aggrieved buyers expressed their frustration over what appears to be a large-scale fraud. Some of the victims claimed to have paid in cash, while others transferred funds electronically, believing the initiative was legitimate.
As of the time of filing this report, the identity of the trader remains unknown. Efforts to contact the Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Moses Yamu, were unsuccessful.
The incident has sparked concerns among residents, who are calling on security agencies to launch an immediate investigation and bring those responsible to justice.
