Investigations by DAILY POST since Monday revealed that personal protective items such as hand gloves, sanitizers, face masks, buckets, vitamin C among others are either not available in some supermarkets, pharmacy stores or have been exhausted.
Our correspondent observed that some of the shops that still have those items in stock have increased the prices 100 percent and above.
Findings by DAILY POST in some supermarkets, pharmacy stores and medicine stores in some major areas such as Mokola, Dugbe, UCH Road and Eleyele, revealed that prices of the items have been increased since the outbreak of the Coronavirus in December. It was gathered that the change in the prices became visible since the beginning of March when the incidences of the outbreak increased.
Our correspondent who went round some areas in Ibadan observed that though many people were eager to get some items, only a few of them were able to get them due to the prices that have now skyrocketed.
Our correspondent who was at a supermarket at Mokola Roundabout on Wednesday to procure face masks was told that face masks were out of stock. However, prices of protective items such as hand sanitizer and gloves have become double. A small hand sanitizer that goes for N300 is now sold at N1,000 when our correspondent visited the supermarket.
When moved further to another pharmaceutical shop around the Lekan Salami Stadium in Adamasingba to know the situation, our correspondent observed that many people were in the supermarket to procure some items but only a few of them were able to do so. A middle-aged woman said that she refused to buy the face masks because she could not afford the price.
“I was told that they don’t have pieces, they said that they only sell packs and I don’t have such money to buy face masks for N12,000. Something we have been buying at the rate of N30, they now said that I should come and buy a pack at N12,000. This is too outrageous” the angry woman told our correspondent.
Many people were rushing to procure some essential commodities when our correspondent visited another store in Eleyele area. It was gathered that a small face mask that was sold for fifty Naira in January is now being sold at the rate of N230 at the store.
A banker who identified herself as Olayinka told our correspondent on Friday that she bought a face mask at the rate of N300 in a pharmaceutical shop along the University College Hospital (UCH), Road.
When asked what is responsible for the scarcity of the items and increment of the items, some of the staff of the shops said that the increment may not be unconnected with the Coronavirus outbreak.