A shocking wave of scarcity of Nigeria’s foremost staple food, garri, swept through the famous Eke-Ogbuehie Market in Oforola Community in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State on Wednesday, April 15, 2025.

The situation left traders and buyers stunned as garri, once the most common and affordable staple food, was nearly nowhere to be found.

The market, which operates every eight days on Eke day, is popularly known as Eke Agbara-Aka ahu Aku, and usually overflows with farm produce like plantain, okra, melon, yam, and above all, garri.

Checks by Kristina Reports revealed that people from neighboring communities such as Obinze, Ama-Afor, Obosima, and even Owerri, the State capital, were left scrambling and confused as stall after stall showed the same thing, empty basins where garri used to be.

For what should have been a routine market day, only a few sellers brought garri to the market, and the price spike hit hard.

A thousand Naira could now only fetch five cups of garri, down from the usual seven or even seven and a half cups.

In a chat with Kristina Reports, one of the few traders who managed to bring garri to the market, Rhoda Achogbuo, asked “What do they expect us to do?”

“You go to your farm and meet ashes. The fire has burnt everything. Cassava stems gone.”

“You struggle to uproot what is left, grind it, tie it, and even drying it becomes a battle because of the weather. You keep retying and checking until it’s finally dry enough to fry.”

“After all that, you come to the market, sell, and you can’t even afford ordinary soup ingredients with the money!

“So, we’re not selling to please anyone. We’re selling to survive. The government has turned a deaf ear to our cries. But we won’t let their wickedness kill us silently.”

As the scarcity bit harder and tension kept rising, some buyers openly blamed the farmers. A woman, overheard during the commotion, remarked bitterly.

“Why are they complaining? Aren’t they from Oforola too? Why didn’t they go to their own farms and uproot cassava instead of coming here to buy?”

Her comment sparked murmurs of disagreement from other traders and buyers, who believe the matter is beyond individual effort.

Another market woman, Oparaeke Beatrice, offered a more hopeful view, calling for urgent intervention.

“If only the government can bring down the prices of things, then it will be easier for everyone. We’re all struggling. Things weren’t this hard before.”

Kristina Reports learnt from knowledgeable sources that Wednesday’s scarcity marks a turning point in the history of Eke market, a place once known for its overflowing supply of garri became a battleground of demand.

Kristina Reports further observed that many who came with high hopes and empty bowls returned home with nothing but disappointment.

One of the traders, who preferred to speak off record, noted that “so, the humble garri, a food so common it was once taken for granted, has now become a hot item, fought over, overpriced, and nearly lost in the chaos of Nigeria’s worsening food crisis”.

As the sun set over the now quiet Eke-Ogbuehie Market, the consensus was clear and unanimous that something had to change and fast, especially with the plea of the traders and buyers that the government should look into the security situation with a view to ameliorating it.