A Lagos resident whose identity has yet to be ascertained died after being trampled by a stampede at the Nigerian Customs Office in Lagos while attempting to purchase cheap rice
An X user, Dr. Adunola, @yemoka who said the man died in her hospital, said that the deceased was trampled on 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. 5 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 Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) on Tuesday disclosed that its operatives will distribute all confiscated food products nationwide.
The Nigerian Customs Service spokesperson, CSC Abdullahi Maiwada, who made this known in a press statement said that the decision was taken to alleviate the current hardships faced by Nigerians and to solve serious problems of food security and the skyrocketing prices of basic food items in the country.
The NCS underlined that the distribution would take place once food items underwent certification to ensure its suitability for human consumption.
