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Customs Suspend Sale Of Seized Food Items Over Stampede
This was disclosed in a statement on Monday by Abdullahi Maiwada, a Customs spokesperson.
On February 20, 2024, Customs announced that it will dispose of food supplies that had been seized in order to lessen hardship and the cost of living in the nation.
First off, last Friday at its Yaba office, the Customs cleared out food goods in front of other security personnel, including members of the Nigeria Police Force.
"At approximately 0800hrs, the food item disposal got off to a smooth start," stated Maiwada.
"We appreciated the enormous number of persons who cooperated with us, giving priority to the elderly, the disabled, expectant mothers, and other vulnerable Nigerians who attended the exercise. This was true until around 1700 hours, as attested to by the over 5000 beneficiaries and members of the press.
“However, unforeseen challenges arose when we ran out of stock and announced the continuation of the exercise the following day, leading to a regrettable outcome.
“The crowd became desperate and charged through our barricades in search of rice bags inside emptied containers. In the stampede that ensued, some fatalities and injuries were regrettably recorded.
The Customs extended its “heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives during the unfortunate incident”. The Service stated that it was working with health authorities to establish contact and engage directly with the victims’ families on their next steps.
The Service launched an internal inquiry to ascertain the circumstances behind the regrettable incident after it happened.
The Service said on Monday, "Given the unfortunate incident that occurred recently, we regretfully announce the suspension of this exercise until we determine what happened on Friday, 23 February 2024."
"This should assist us in effectively articulating more comprehensive and robust action that will not undermine the noble intention."