Ramadan palliatives meant to be distributed in Gombe State by Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu were reportedly looted by some youths in the state on Monday.
Seyi Tinubu has been touring northern states, participating in Iftar with residents and political leaders while launching Ramadan feeding programmes for the less privileged.
However, the initiative has generated heated debates on social media, with some welcoming the gesture and others condemning it as inadequate for addressing the region’s pressing needs.
Some northern elites argue that northern Nigeria deserves more substantial support beyond food handouts, while supporters view it as a charitable effort.
Former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, criticised the Ramadan food distribution initiative by Tinubu’s son, calling it an insult to the rich heritage of Northern Nigeria.
“It’s a disgrace to Arewa (Northern region) and our founding fathers that Tinubu’s son came to Sokoto and Kano to share cooked rice. It is insulting and demeaning,” Lamido stated.
The former governor further emphasised that Northern Nigeria, known for its cultural and historical significance, should not be reduced to receiving handouts.
“Arewa, with our rich culture and heritage, should not be brought down to this level. Aminu Kano, Sardauna, Tafawa Balewa, Joseph Tarka and many others are the pride of our region, so we need to stand up and do the right thing,” he added.
Also, son of the Bauchi State governor, Shamsuddeen Bala Mohammed, has criticised Seyi’s initiative in a Facebook post, urging him to implement sustainable empowerment programmes instead.
In a video, a group of hungry youths was seen looting cartons of food items from a truck parked by the roadside.
The youths threw the items to those on the ground, who eagerly grabbed them and fled.
The cartons contained rice, sugar, oil, salt, and pasta.
According to reports, two trucks carrying 3,500 cartons of these items were allocated to Gombe.
While the contents of one truck were distributed, the second truck was intercepted and looted by the aggrieved youths.
