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Stampede, deaths: Customs suspends sales of seized edibles

Published

10 months ago

February 27, 2024

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

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Rivers: You’ve reduced yourself to a ridiculous level, Wike fires back at Odili

Published

23 minutes ago

December 29, 2024

Trends Admin

Former Governor of Rivers State, Dr Peter Odili and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Nyesom Wike

Rivers: You’ve reduced yourself to a ridiculous level, Wike fires back at Odili

Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Nyesom Wike has knocked a former Governor of Rivers State, Dr Peter Odili over a recent remark against his principal.

News Direct reports that Odili had during a Christmas ballad organized by himself in honour of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his family, said that the incumbent Governor courageously stopped Wike from making Rivers State his private estate.

According to Odili, Fubara summoned an unusual fortitude to confront the quest by the FCT Minister to capture the state through ferocious but unnecessary political war.

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Reacting, Olayinka in a post on his official X handle, described Odili’s comment as disappointing, stating that the former governor, who is expected to act as an elder statesman, has reduced himself to a ridiculous level.

Olayinka said in the coming days, Odili would get a deserved response from the FCT Minister.

“I Read the comments made by the former Governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili on the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, today, and I can’t but be disappointed that someone who should be acting like an elder statesman can reduce himself to such ridiculous level of partisanship.

“Well, he will get his deserved response from the FCT Minister in due course”, Olayinka wrote.

Rivers: You’ve reduced yourself to a ridiculous level, Wike fires back at Odili

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Lagos govt insists nightclubs, worship centres must obtain permit for amplified sound

Published

6 hours ago

December 29, 2024

Trends Admin

Honourable Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab

Lagos govt insists nightclubs, worship centres must obtain permit for amplified sound

The Lagos State Government has rolled out stricter measures to combat noise pollution, requiring nightclubs, lounges, bars, and worship centres to obtain permits for events involving amplified sound.

The measure, it said, aimed to safeguard the health and well-being of Lagosians during the festive season and beyond.

Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced this via his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday, emphasizing the government’s zero-tolerance stance on noise pollution.

Wahab highlighted that events with amplified sound must be conducted in soundproofed, enclosed spaces to protect residents from the harmful effects of excessive noise.

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“Establishments such as worship centers, nightclubs, lounges, and bars must now obtain permits for events involving amplified sound and ensure these activities take place in soundproofed, enclosed spaces to protect neighboring residents,” the statement read in part.

To enforce these directives, the government said it had established a Special Task Force on Noise Pollution under the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA).

This task force, in collaboration with the Lagos State Neighborhood Safety Corps (LSNSC) and the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), would oversee compliance, arrest offenders, and prosecute violators of noise regulations, it stated.

The statement further noted that starting January 2025, the government would roll out a public awareness campaign to educate Lagosians on acceptable noise levels and the benefits of a quieter environment.

Lagos govt insists nightclubs, worship centres must obtain permit for amplified sound

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Alleged missing N180m: It’s a prank, Singer Dammy Krane says

Published

6 hours ago

December 29, 2024

Trends Admin

Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as Verydarkman

Alleged missing N180m: It’s a prank, Singer Dammy Krane says

Singer, Dammy Krane has stated that social critic, Very Dark Man, is joking with claims that N180 million was diverted from the NGO account he created in October this year.

VDM shocked Nigerians on Friday, December 27 when he released a video claiming hackers had breached his NGO website and moved N180m leaving only N20 million.

The news shocked many Nigerians who took to social media to slam him.

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However, in a post shared on his Instagram page this evening, Dammy Krane claimed that VDM is renovating a school in Jos, and was only joking with the story of stolen funds.

Also, a Human Rights activist, Omotayo Williams, claimed the man VDM showed in his video as an officer accompanying him to Jos is a well-known member of the Kogi State Taxi Taskforce.