Customs has halted the sale of confiscated food items after a stampede in Lagos resulted in the deaths of seven individuals.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has suspended the sale of seized food items following a stampede that claimed 7 Nigerian lives at the NCS Old Zonal Headquarters in the Yaba area of Lagos State. Abdullahi Maiwada, a spokesperson for Customs, announced this on Monday. Dozens of people turned up for the open sales on Friday, February 23, 2024, at the customs’ zonal office on Harvey Road, Yaba, Lagos, where a 25kg bag of rice was sold for N10,000.

The customs had stated that the action aimed to alleviate economic hardship caused by rising costs of essential food items in the country. During the distribution, it was reported that a pregnant woman and six others died in the stampede as armed hoodlums in camouflage gear tried to force their way into the venue.

The All Progressives Congress (APC)

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State confirmed that one of its members, Mrs. Adebanjo Comfort Funmilayo, was among the stampede victims.

Announcing the program’s suspension, Maiwada stated, “The disposal of the food items started smoothly around 0800hrs. We received cooperation from the crowd, prioritizing vulnerable individuals. However, challenges arose when we ran out of stock, leading to a regrettable stampede.”

“Considering the recent unfortunate event, we regrettably announce the suspension of this exercise until we establish what transpired on Friday, 23 February 2024.

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