News in Brief:
– Nigeria Customs Service plans to distribute seized food items to Nigerians facing hardship due to rising food prices.
– It will follow some guidelines to ensure fairness and transparency, and the agency reiterates its committment to combat smuggling.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Oyo/Ogun Command, has announced plans to distribute seized rice and other food items to Nigerians facing hardship due to rising food prices.
This initiative comes after a previous distribution exercise in Lagos that faced several challenges including exclusion and ultimately cummulated into fatalities after an unfortunate stampede.
The agency is learning from the recent incident and claimed to have developed new modalities to ensure a smooth and transparent process. The goal is to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians by providing access to affordable food.
Furthermore, according to Area Controller Ben Oramalugo, the seized items will be distributed there will be careful screening and verification of beneficiaries to ensure that it reaches those in need.
For now, there is information on the location where the Customs plans to share the seized food items in Ogun and Oyo state. It promised to keep the public informed about the distribution’s progress.
The NCS also seized the opportunity to reiterate its commitment to combating smuggling and protecting the nation’s borders.