The management of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, has dismissed claims by some yet-to-be identified mischief makers, who claimed that multiple deaths have been recorded in Badagry due to rice consumption that the command unlawfully seized and distributed as gifts.
Some online reports had claims that the owners purportedly invoked the gods to make the rice poisonous for those consuming it, a development the rumour mongers claimed led to multiple deaths.
Denouncing the fake news as the height of unprofessionalism, the Seme Customs Area Controller (CAC), Comptroller Ben Oramalugo, said the reported allegation and deaths are the imaginations of the reporter, noting that whereas the initial reaction was to ignore the story, a rebuttal had become necessary so that innocent citizens are not misled into believing the lies.
Speaking on behalf of the CAC, the Seme Command PRO, CSC Isah Sulaiman in a statement urged the general public to disregard the allegation together with the story as a product of mischief.
“The attention of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, has been drawn to a widely circulated unfounded and baseless allegation claiming that the Command seized and distributed bags of rice without the knowledge of the purported owner, who then allegedly invoked traditional powers leading to the death of individuals, including a soldier at Badagry.
“The Command wishes to categorically state that this narrative is entirely false, misleading, and does not reflect any such reality. The Command has always adhered to NCS Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for disposing of seized goods which is guided by transparency, due process, and strict adherence to extant laws and guidelines.
“It is instructive to say that no incident within the Command’s Area of Responsibility (AoR) or among personnel corroborates the false claims of deaths resulting from rice consumption linked to the NCS. Unfortunately, some unscrupulous elements wearing the garment of journalism (a credible profession) to misinform members of the public with baseless, fictitious and malicious accusations to score cheap points instead of the social responsibility they are supposed to uphold,” the statement read in part.
The Seme Customs Command, however, urged the general public to disregard this unfounded story and refrain from spreading false information that could incite fear or tarnish the image of the security agencies working tirelessly to safeguard the nation.
Meanwhile, the Seme Customs Command reiterated commitment to its mandate of revenue generation, suppressing smuggling, and facilitating legitimate trade professionally and responsibly in accordance with extant government fiscal policies and laws.
