The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has stopped selling seized food items after a tragic incident at the NCS Old Zonal Headquarters in Yaba, Lagos State, last Friday.
Abdullahi Maiwada, a spokesperson for Customs, made this announcement in a statement on Monday.
The Customs had initially planned to sell seized food items on February 20, 2024, to help ease the financial burden on citizens.
However, after the stampede incident, they have decided to suspend the sale. Last Friday, the Customs disposed of some food items at their Yaba office in the presence of other security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force.
“The disposal of the food items got off to a smooth start at about 0800hrs,” Maiwada said.
“We enjoyed the cooperation of the large crowd that obliged us, giving preferences to the elderly, people living with disabilities, pregnant women, and other vulnerable Nigerians who showed up for the exercise. This was the case up until about 1700hrs, 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 announced that it is collaborating with health authorities to reach out and communicate directly with the families of the victims about their next steps.
After the incident, the Service launched an internal investigation to determine the details of what happened.
“Considering the recent unfortunate event, we regrettably announce the suspension of this exercise until we establish what transpired on Friday, 23 February 2024,” the Service announced on Monday.
“This should help us to properly articulate more robust and comprehensive action that will not defeat the noble intention.”
