metro
Stampede, deaths: Customs suspends sales of seized edibles
Stampede, deaths: Customs suspends sales of seized edibles
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has suspended its food disposal initiative following a stampede that claimed seven lives on Feb. 23. The unfortunate incident was during the distribution of 25Kg bags of rice at its Zonal Headquarters, Yaba, Lagos State
The service announced the suspension in a statement by its National Public Relations Officer, Mr Abdullahi Maiwada, on Monday. Maiwada said that the suspension was part of the service’s resolve to ensure the safety of Nigerians and to enable it to properly articulate its next line of action, in order not to defeat the vision of the initiative.
Nigeria Customs had announced on Feb. 20 that it would facilitate the direct disposal of food items forfeited to the Federal Government. The initiative was in response to the current challenges of food security in Nigeria and the increasingly high costs of essential food items.
It also targeted an improvement in the lives of indigents. The distribution of 25kg of rice, thus, commenced on Feb. 23 at the discounted price of N10,000 in Lagos. The service said that the exercise would be managed to ensure that the benefits reach the needy.
According to the service spokesperson, the bags of rice were out of stock during the pilot distribution, which led to heightened desperation among the crowd. “Unforeseen challenges arose when we ran out of stock and announced the continuation of the exercise the following day, leading to a regrettable outcome.
“The crowd became desperate and charged through our barricades in search of rice bags inside emptied containers. In the stampede that ensued, some fatalities and injuries were regrettably recorded.
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“Considering the recent unfortunate event, we regrettably announce the suspension of this exercise until we establish what transpired on Friday, 23 February 2024,” he said. He said that an internal investigation had been initiated to understand the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate event.
The service commiserated with the families of the deceased and assured them of its unwavering support. NCS is working with hospital authorities to establish contact and engage directly with the victims’ families regarding their next steps,” he said.
In a similar development, the Spokesperson, in an interview with NAN, said that the process of selling the rice was in line with its regulations. He said that the money collected from the sales was going directly into the federation account.
This was in reaction to critics who had argued that the bag of rice sold at N10,000 was supposed to be given free to the vulnerable in the society. He said that the items had monetary value and were sold at that amount to generate revenue for the government.
“Even though the amount of revenue collected through this scheme is inconsequential compared to what we collect as revenue, we need to recoup the value of duty that would have been collected on those items if they were imported into Nigeria,” he said. According to him, the price of the rice was discounted to enable indigents afford it.
“But it was later given out for free because of the mammoth crowd at the distribution centre,”
Stampede, deaths: Customs suspends sales of seized edibles
metro
Two Cameroonian, two Nigerians arrested over kidnapping
Two Cameroonian, two Nigerians arrested over kidnapping
A stint operation carried out by detectives from Force Headquarters, Abuja, and Operatives of Delta State Police Command has led to the arrest of a Camerounian and two Nigerians over kidnapping.
The three-man gang was known for kidnapping unsuspecting residents in Orerokpe, Sapele and Warri axes of Delta State.
One suspect is Kaduna-based, while the others are from Kogi and Cameroun, respectively.
Intelligence gathered on some kidnapping incidents carried out in the Warri axis pointed accusing fingers at Yakubu Ya’u, 20, a Kaduna resident who often visited Oha and Ughwagba communities in Okpe Local Government Area of the state to kidnap unsuspecting victims for ransom.
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Led by the DPO of Orerokpe Division, DSP Paul Oboware, the detectives trailed the suspect to his hideout in Warri, where he was arrested.
Grilled, the suspect led the police operatives to two other members of the gang, Musa Yakubu, 25, from Kogi State and Abdulahi Mohammed, 38, from Cameroun.
The gang was allegedly responsible for several kidnapping incidents in Orerokpe, Sapele and Warri axes of Delta State.
Some victims of the crime duly identified the suspects who led the detectives to Ughwagba, where two pump action guns, one live cartridge and one knife buried in a bush were recovered by the police.
A statement issued by the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, SP Edafe Bright, said investigation into the matter has commenced with efforts to apprehend other fleeing members of the gang in top gear.
Two Cameroonian, two Nigerians arrested over kidnapping
metro
Police arrest suspected killers of Major-General, others in Imo
Police arrest suspected killers of Major-General, others in Imo
…Parade 435 suspects, rescue 13 kidnap victims
Parading the suspects including 435 others at the command’s headquarters, Owerri on Thursday, May 16, the state commissioner of police, Aboki Danjuma, said the syndicate was busted through intense intelligence gathering and sustained follow-up by the command’s anti-kidnapping unit.
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He said: “The suspects, Chukwunonso Emmanuel, Okoroigwe Goodness, and Innocent Ogu, were arrested in different locations in Imo and Anambra States. They confessed to the crime of kidnapping and murdering Major General Duru, as well as being members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) /Eastern Security Network (ESN).”
Aboki, who was represented by the police spokesman, Henry Okoye, disclosed that the police also recovered 48 different firearms, 552 various calibres of live ammunition, and several stolen vehicles from the suspects.
metro
Bandits kill three, abduct 120 in fresh Zamfara community attack
Bandits kill three, abduct 120 in fresh Zamfara community attack
Not less than three residents have tragically lost their lives, and more than 120 others have been abducted following a harrowing attack by notorious bandits on the Goran Namaye community in Zamfara State’s Maradun Local Government Area.
Abubakar Muhammad, a resident of the area, recounted that the terrorists stormed the town at approximately 1:17 am on Thursday, systematically moving from one residence to another. He revealed that the abducted individuals were predominantly women and men, highlighting that three lives were also lost during the raid.
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Muhammad described the assailants as arriving in significant numbers, mounted on motorcycles and armed with sophisticated weaponry, effectively surrounding the community as panic spread. He lamented the chaos that ensued, with residents fleeing in disarray and many being pursued into the forest by the attackers.
Despite the gravity of the situation, security agencies in the state have yet to issue an official statement on the incident at the time of this report.
Bandits kill three, abduct 120 in fresh Zamfara community attack
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