Olisa Agbakoba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has cautioned that the country might soon face a “hunger riot” unless the Federal Government acts swiftly.
Agbakoba made this statement on Tuesday during a press briefing at his Ikoyi office in Lagos.
He emphasized that extreme poverty is preventing many Nigerians from affording basic necessities, despite the nation’s rich oil and gas resources, which he claims are monopolized by foreigners.
Agbakoba warned that the increasing desperation could lead to mass uprisings, with people potentially resorting to looting homes and shops in broad daylight for food.
“Hunger riot can occur anytime in Nigeria,” Agbakoba stated, advising President Tinubu to restructure his cabinet and reduce government expenses. He criticized the current size of the cabinet, suggesting it be cut down to no more than 20 ministries from over 40.
The legal expert also recommended scrapping certain government agencies and broadening the tax base, specifically targeting multinational oil companies allegedly evading taxes. “Don’t increase taxes, just expand the tax net and go after defaulting IOCs,” he added.
This warning comes amid rising food inflation, which hit 40.66 percent in May. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the cost of food has surged by 61 percent from June 2023 to May 2024, reflecting a steady increase in the cost of living.
The latest Consumer Price Index and Inflation report also noted that headline inflation rose to 33.95 percent in May, the highest in 28 years.
Agbakoba stressed the need for immediate measures to prevent the anticipated hunger riot, highlighting the urgency of the situation.
