A Lagos State resident, whose identity is yet to be ascertained, has tragically lost his life in a stampede at the Nigerian Customs office in Lagos while trying to buy cheap rice.
Dr. Adunola, a witness to the incident, told Saharareporters, “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.”
Eyewitnesses revealed the chaotic scene at the Customs office, with one individual describing the overwhelming crowd of approximately 10,000 people clamoring to buy rice. The witness lamented the preferential treatment given to uniformed officers, exacerbating tensions among the already frustrated crowd.
“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,” the witness stated.
The Nigerian Customs Service had earlier announced plans to distribute confiscated food products nationwide to alleviate the hardships faced by Nigerians amidst rising food prices.
Customs Service spokesperson, CSC Abdullahi Maiwada, emphasized the importance of ensuring the suitability of food items for human consumption through certification processes before distribution.