The National Public Relations Officer, Mr Abdullahi Maiwada announced the suspension of sales of seized food by the Nigeria Custom on Monday. He said the suspension was as a result of the stampade that claimed about seven lives on Feb 23. The incident occured during the distribusion of 25Kg bag of rice at its Zonal Headquarters, Yaba, Lagos State.
Maiwada said that the suspension was part of the service’s resolve to ensure the safety of Nigerians and to enable it to properly articulate its next line of action in order not to defeat the vision of the initiative.
The distribution of the seized item commenced on Feb 23at the discounted price of N10,000 in Lagos. The distribution of the seized foods was a response to the current challenges of food security in Nigeria and the increasing high cost of essential food item. It was targeted for improvement in the lives of indigents.
According to the service spokesperson, the bags of rice were out of stock during the pilot distribution, which led to heightened desperation among the crowd. “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,” he said. He said that an internal investigation had been initiated to understand the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate event.