Nigeria Customs Denies Claims of Poisoned Rice Deaths

 By: Manoah kikekon 

Nigeria Customs 

 The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, has issued a strong rebuttal against viral but unfounded allegations linking multiple deaths, including that of a soldier, to poisoned rice allegedly seized and distributed by customs officials.  

In an official press statement signed by Chief Superintendent of Customs Isah Sulaiman, the Public Relations Officer for the Seme Command, the agency dismissed the claims as "baseless, misleading, and entirely fabricated."

 

The NCS emphasized that its operations strictly follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for handling seized goods, ensuring transparency, due process, and compliance with federal laws. 

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"There is no record of any such incident within our Area of Responsibility (AoR), nor has there been any report of deaths linked to rice distributed by the NCS," the statement read.  

The Command expressed disappointment over what it described as "reckless misinformation" spread by individuals, warning that such false reports could incite public panic and damage the reputation of security agencies.

The Seme Area Command, led by Comptroller Ben Oramalugo, PhD, urged the public to disregard the false narrative and avoid sharing unverified claims.  

"We remain committed to our mandate of revenue generation, anti-smuggling efforts, and trade facilitation in line with government policies," the statement reaffirmed.