The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accidentally confirmed that seven Nigerians lost their lives while trying to procure “cheap” rice that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) auctioned to the public in Lagos.
APC said one of its members, Mrs. Comfort Adebanjo, died alongside six others during the stampede to buy the foodstuff at the Nigeria Customs office in Yaba.
Customs had seized the 25kg bags of rice from supposed smugglers.
Announcing their auction as part of efforts to cushion the effect of the economic hardship in the country, Customs had said the rice bags would be sold to the public at N10,000 each instead of the about N40,000 they now go for in the market.
The Coordinator of FKL Ward E1, Lagos State of the APC, Oluwafemi Fadahunsi, and Secretary, Comrade Adebari Adewale, issued an obituary on Saturday, February 24, 2024, confirming that Mrs. Adebanjo was one of the seven persons killed in the stampede to procure the rice.
“It is with heavy hearts and regret we announce the painful death of one of our members in FKL WARD E1, Mrs Adebanjo Comfort Funmilayo of house number 104, Ibidun street by AKINHANMI street, Ojuelegba,” the obituary read.
“She was among the 7 victims who died in the course of buying custom rice at Yaba.
“May God grant all the members of her family and all the residents of WARD E1 the fortitude to bear the irreplaceable loss.”
The other victims have so far not been identified.
