Some residents of Lagos State queue up to purchase bags of rice offered by the Nigerian Customs Service at the affordable price of N10,000.
The development was captured in a video posted on the X handle of Nigeria Info FM on Friday.
This follows the Customs’ announcement of the commencement of the distribution of seized food items on the specified day.
Captioning the video, Nigeria Info wrote: “Lagosians queue up to buy rice seized by The Nigerian Customs Service.
“A bag of rice (25kg) is reportedly being sold for #10,000.
“The Customs Service says it secured approval from the government to dispose of the seized food items to needy Nigerians at discounted prices.”
Meanwhile, the NCS Comptroller General, Adewale Adeniyi, noted in a statement while speaking with newsmen in Lagos that customs officials were explicitly banned from participating in the distribution process.
The orderly scene depicted in the video featured women patiently waiting their turn to receive the rice they had purchased.
The official statement, conveyed by the NCS National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, made it clear that the rice would be meticulously packaged in 25kg bags, with the cost set at N10,000.
Adeniyi disclosed that the initiative targeted specific groups such as artisans, teachers, nurses, religious bodies, and other residents within the NCS operational areas.
The overarching objective of the initiative, as stated by Adeniyi, was to establish direct communication channels with members of these groups to ensure the utmost effectiveness of the distribution process.
The Comptroller General equally warned issued against the resale of the food items, underscoring the NCS’s unwavering commitment to transparency and accountability throughout the entire operation.
