Customs Service Suspends Sale of Seized Commodities

 Following the commencement of the  distribution of food items seized from illegal importers to Nigerian citizens by the Nigeria Customs Service, The NCS has announced an immediate half of the process. The decision to stop the process just one day after commencement was as a result of a stampede that occurred at the NCS old zonal headquarters located Yaba Lagos, when a huge crowd had feverishly struggled to purchase bags of rice at the highly discounted sum of 10,000 naira.

The stampede which occurred on 23rd February 2024, claimed the lives of some citizens who had been struggling to obtain the food items. Announcing the suspension of the distribution on Monday 26th February,  spokesperson of the NCS, Abdullahi Maiwada, stated: “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 stated that 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.”