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By Steve Agbota
Seme Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), has denied the false allegations of multiple deaths linked to alleged poisoned rice released by its Seme border Command.
It debunked the allegation in a statement by Isah Sulaiman, the Public Relations Officer, on behalf of the Customs Area Controller, Seme Area Command, Ben Oramalugo.
According to the statement, the attention of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, had 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 in Badagry.
“The Command wishes to categorically state that this narrative is entirely false, misleading and does not reflect the reality of the matter. The Command has always adhered to the 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 are 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.
“Consequently, we urge the 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,” the statement reads in part.
The statement also noted that the Seme Area Command, under the leadership of Oramalugo, remains committed to its mandate of revenue generation, suppressing smuggling and facilitating legitimate trade professionally and responsibly in accordance with extant government’s fiscal policies and laws.
