OSOGBO, Osun State — Panic broke out in Osogbo on Monday after a foodstuff store at Odi Olowo, opposite the former NEPA office, reportedly disappeared after collecting pre-order payments from hundreds of traders and other customers.

According to affected customers, the store had been selling food items at heavily discounted prices for several months, with some products reportedly offered at prices up to 50–80 per cent below prevailing market rates. A 50kg bag of rice said to sell for about ₦60,000–₦70,000 was reportedly offered for between ₦20,000 and ₦30,000, while a carton of Indomie noodles reportedly sold for between ₦5,000 and ₦7,000, depending on the quantity ordered.

Other items reportedly offered at discounted prices included semovita, vegetable oil, beans and spaghetti. Customers said orders were normally processed within seven days, while the latest promotion was widely circulated on social media and attracted customers from different parts of Osun State.

However, when customers arrived at the store on the scheduled collection day, they reportedly found the premises empty. Some said attempts to reach the operators through their telephone numbers were unsuccessful, triggering panic and prompting some of the affected customers to seek police intervention.

The affected customers are now calling on the police to investigate the incident and assist in recovering the money they allegedly paid for food items that were not delivered.

The development has also generated concern because the incident reportedly occurred in the same Odi Olowo area associated with the Hero’s Merchant/Hero’s Capital controversy in previous years, which also involved food-related transactions. The circumstances surrounding the current incident have not been established by the police, and it is not yet clear whether the operators deliberately defrauded customers or whether there is another explanation for their disappearance.

The incident has drawn comparisons with a similar case reported in Auchi, Edo State, in July 2025, where an individual allegedly sold bags of rice at heavily discounted prices while claiming the products were part of a Federal Government subsidy or palliative programme. Reports at the time alleged that more than 1,000 people paid for the rice before the operator disappeared, with victims estimating their collective losses at between ₦20 million and ₦30 million.

Police authorities are expected to establish what happened to the Osogbo store operators, determine the amount involved and ascertain whether criminal charges are warranted.