February 24, 2024
-By Reporter with additional sources
Thousands of Lagos residents stormed Yaba office of the Nigerian Customs Service to buy seized rice.
At the place, the customs sells a 25kg bag of rice for N10,000.
Some residents of the state were captured on camera queueing up to purchase bags of rice.
Recall that Customs announced that the distribution of seized food items will commence on Friday (today).
In a statement issued to journalists in Lagos, the NCS Comptroller General, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed that customs officials are not allowed to be involved in the process.
According to the statement issued through the service’s National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, Adeniyi stated the rice will be packaged in 25kg bags and sold for N10,000.
The target groups, he said, included artisans, teachers, nurses, religious bodies, and other Nigerians within its operational areas.
The aim, he said, is to establish direct communication with members through these structured systems in order to guarantee the utmost effectiveness of this initiative.
Adeniyi cautioned against the resale of food items, emphasizing that the NCS is fully dedicated to transparency and accountability throughout the entire process.
Meanwhile, Sahara Reporters has said that a Lagos State resident whose identity had yet to be ascertained had reportedly died after he was stampeded at the Nigerian Customs office in Lagos while trying to buy rice.
An X user, Dr. Adunola, @yemoka who said the man died in her hospital, said the deceased was trampled after falling at the Customs office trying to get rice.
According to her, the deceased was on the queue with his wife when he fell down and couldn’t get up on time which resulted in people stamping on him.
She wrote, “A man just died in my hospital, he was stamped on after falling at the Customs office trying to get rice. He was on the queue with his wife when he fell down and couldn’t get up on time which resulted in people stamping on him. So sad. Survived by very young children.”
Another X user shared another resident of the state who said that he was at the Customs office in the Yaba area of the State to buy rice and there were at least 10,000 people struggling to buy rice but uniformed officers from all forces were given special attention.
“I went to that Customs place in Yaba today to buy Rice. Let’s just say this country has zero chance of being better. They beat the shit out of us in the queue.
“Uniform officers from all forces were given priority. There are at least 10,000 people. When I had enough, I went back to my house after five hours wasted.
“The pressure of the people pulled down a section of their fence. Come and see the beating. They even beat one woman in a wheelchair. If you record and they catch you, they will seize your phone,” the resident said.
The NCS had said the distribution would take place once the food items underwent certification to ensure their suitability for human consumption.
