The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced the temporary suspension of a food distribution initiative aimed at alleviating hardships faced by Nigerians.
The programme, launched last Friday, involved the disposal of seized edible goods deemed fit for consumption.
The pilot exercise, held at the NCS Old Zonal Headquarters in Yaba, Lagos, initially went smoothly, according to a statement from the NCS. Over 5,000 people, including the elderly, disabled, pregnant women, and others in need, received food items.
NCS stated that the exercise was conducted following meticulous planning to address all potential risks that may emerge during the exercise, noting that it had the Nigeria Police and military personnel to ensure crowd control.
However, the situation turned chaotic when organisers announced the continuation of the event on Saturday due to a lack of supplies.
NCS, in a statement on Monday by its spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, describes the crowd becoming “desperate” and breaching barricades in search of rice bags inside emptied containers, resulting in a stampede with “regrettable fatalities and injuries.”
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the affected families during this challenging time, and we assure them of our unwavering support. We are working with hospital authorities to establish contact and engage directly with the victims’ families on their next steps,” Maiwada said.
“ Following this incident, an internal investigation was initiated to understand the circumstances surrounding this unfortunate event.”
Maiwada noted that the suspension of the exercise is intended to allow the NCS to improve safety measures and prevent similar incidents in the future.
“We recognise the need for heightened sensitivity and preventive measures in all our operations. Considering the recent unfortunate event, we regrettably announce the suspension of this exercise until we establish what transpired on Friday, February 23, 2024,” Maiwada said.
“This should help us to properly articulate more robust and comprehensive action that will not defeat the noble intention.”
