The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced the suspending of its seized food disposal initiative following the stampede that killed seven citizens on Friday.
The seven were trampled to death in a stampede by citizens struggling to purchase 25Kg bags of rice at its Zonal Headquarters, Yaba, Lagos State.
With the going market price at N40,000, Customs fixed a tag of N10,000 on the seized commodities taken from illegal Importers.
However, it has announced the suspension of the exercise in a statement by its National Public Relations Officer, Mr Abdullahi Maiwada, on Monday.
Maiwada said that the suspension was part of Customs’ resolve to ensure the safety of Nigerians and to enable it properly articulate its next line of action, in order not to defeat the vision of the initiative.
The NCS had announced on February 20 that it would make direct disposal of food items forfeited to the Federal Government.
The statement said: “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.
“Considering the recent unfortunate event, we regrettably announce the suspension of this exercise until we establish what transpired on Friday, 23 February 2024.”
According to the spokesperson, Customs had begun an internal investigation to understand the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate event.
The service commiserated with the families of the deceased and assured them of its unwavering support.
“NCS is working with hospital authorities to establish contact and engage directly with the victims’ families regarding their next steps,” he said.
