Food sellers raise alarm as customers smuggle extra Fufu wraps into restaurants to cut cost

By Ahmed Olayinka

Food vendors in Kwara’s bustling metropolis are sounding the alarm over a new trend among some crafty customers, bringing their own extra wraps of cassava fufu, locally known as ‘akpu’, to stretch their meals and demand additional soup without paying for it.

The Prime News reports that a concerned food vendor at Sawmill area, who preferred to remain anonymous, shared her frustration with this growing practice.

“Some customers bring extra ‘akpu’ and secretly add it to the portion we serve them. Then, they demand more soup,” she lamented.

She first noticed the issue when her soup, which used to last for an entire day, began depleting faster than usual despite serving the same number of customers.

“I caught one man in the act when I realized the portion of ‘akpu’ in front of him wasn’t reducing. He had brought two extra wraps from home. When I confronted him, he admitted it,” she recounted.

The problem, it seems, is not isolated. At Oro road, another vendor, Chinyere Ogbuagu, echoed similar concerns.

“It’s becoming more common. You can spot these customers by the number of waterproof bags in front of them—they always have extra ‘fufu’. It affects our business because the soup finishes quicker, leaving us short.”

Some customers, however, defend their actions. Ezekiel Olajide, a building laborer, believes vendors are the ones to blame.

“These sellers cheat us. What they serve as a plate of ‘akpu’ for N1,200 is not enough to satisfy even a child, and the meat is tiny.

“So, many of us buy extra wraps for ₦200 outside and add it to what we’re served. We have to survive,” he argued.

The debate highlights a growing tension between food vendors and their customers in Ilorin, as rising food prices and economic pressures drive both sides to take matters into their own hands.