The
Nigerian Customs Service on Monday placed a temporary suspension on the sales
of seized food items across all the commands in the country over a stampede
that claimed lives at NCS Old Zonal Headquarters in the Yaba area of Lagos
State last Friday.
This is contained in a press statement signed by the
agency’s spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwa, on Monday.
The Customs had on February 20, 2024, said it would
dispose of seized food items to cushion the hardship and cost of living in the
country.
To start with, the Customs disposed of food items at
its Yaba office last Friday in the presence of other security agencies like the
men of the Nigeria Police Force.
Maiwada
said. “The disposal of the food items got off to a smooth start at about
0800hrs.
“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 5,000 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”.
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The
Service said it was working with health authorities to establish contact and
engage directly with the victims’ families on their next steps.
Following the incident, the Service initiated an
internal investigation to understand the circumstances surrounding the
unfortunate event.
“Considering the recent unfortunate event, we
regrettably announce the suspension of this exercise until we establish what
transpired on Friday, 23 February 2024.
“This should help us to properly articulate more
robust and comprehensive action that will not defeat the noble intention,” the
Service announced on Monday.
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