VIDEO: Watch How Nigerians Being Flogged To Get Free Yam, Bread in Lagos Amid Hardship, Hunger
A circulating video has shown how Nigerians were being struck with canes before receiving complimentary loaves of bread in Lagos Island, Lagos State.
The footage reveals a large crowd lined up in queues, where individuals are methodically struck with canes before being provided with the free bread.
“See how them dey flog pesin because of N100 bread, Nigeria don spoil. See crowd (See how people are being flogged because of N100 bread; Nigeria is finished),” one of the eyewitnesses said in the video.
In yet another viral clip circulating on X platform, a different group of individuals is observed engaging in a heated altercation over complimentary yams at the Lagos Central Mosque, situated in Lagos Island.
“The citizens are hungry; they are fighting over yams,” someone said in the video.
Attempts to contact Benjamin Hundeyin, the state police spokesperson, for comment were unsuccessful as he did not respond to calls or messages regarding the video at the time of this report.
SaharaReporters previously highlighted how many Nigerians in the Northern region have turned to rice grains known as afafata, rejected by millers and typically used for feeding fish, due to the ongoing economic crisis in the country.
These grains, termed “battling” in the Hausa language widely spoken in the north, are challenging to cook and eat due to their hardness, as reported by BBC.
Isah Hamisu, a rice mill worker in Kano, Kano State capital, noted the shift in attitude towards afafata, which was previously discarded but is now sought after due to its affordability amidst rising food prices.
Despite being broken, dirty, and tough, the lower price of afafata has made it more accessible to hungry Nigerians, aiding poorer families in affording one of the country’s staple foods.
Fatima Abdullahi, a fish farm owner, mentioned that her fish enjoy afafata grains, contributing to its increased demand and consequent price rise.
READ ALSO: Lagos Residents Lament as Prices of Condoms Rise by Over 100%
The cost of food items in Nigeria has been steadily rising for almost three decades, exacerbated by global pressures and government policies such as President Bola Tinubu’s removal of fuel subsidies and the devaluation of the naira.
A standard 50kg (110lb) bag of rice, capable of sustaining a household of eight to ten people for about a month, now costs N77,000 ($53; £41), marking a more than 70% increase since the middle of last year, surpassing the monthly income of many Nigerians.
