ACG Hammi Swomen (second from right) with some of his officers and relatives of some of the victims.
Story by Dili Utomi.
It is a great feeling to note that at a time when a lot of persons in power are acting with such level of uncare and impunity, the officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service are extending good hands of magnanimity to the public in various ways. An incident occured a few weeks ago on the 23rd of February 2024 where some persons died at the point of sale of subvented bags of rice and in a heartwarming gesture, the Service has reached out to the family of Susan Odulaja, one of the victims of the tragic stampede that occurred during the sale of the 25kg bags of rice in Yaba, Lagos
The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, sent a delegation led by the Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs/Zonal Coordinator Zone “A,” Hammi Swomen, to visit the family in Jibowu, Lagos State, on Friday, April 26, 2024.
During the visit, the Zonal Coordinator expressed the NCS’s deepest condolences to the family, stating, “We remember the unfortunate incident that led to the loss of four precious lives during the disposal of 25kg bags of rice at a reduced price of N10,000. We are here to support this family and demonstrate our commitment to their well-being.”
This visit marks the second time the NCS has reached out to the family, demonstrating the service’s commitment to showing compassion and empathy to those affected by the tragedy.
“We are here on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs to support this family. This is our second visit, but it is to demonstrate our continued support to the family.” He explained.
Commiserating with the widower, Michael Odulaja, ACG Swomen, pledged the NCS’ commitment to work with the family and support them continuously.”The service is mindful of the effects of this loss, and we have pledged to work with this family and support them continuously. “When you are grieving and have people around you, it reduces the trauma. Right now, we are going to report to the CGC, and the service is considering, in concrete terms, what to do going forward,” he stated.
In response, Odulaja appreciated the service representatives for their visit and support. He said, “I thank God and the Nigeria Customs Service for their support. Any support that they give us, I will ensure that I use it wisely and invest it in the children.”
It will be recalled that the Service issued a press statement after the unfortunate incident on the 26 of February 2024, promising to follow up with the families of the stampede victims.
According to the statement, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the affected families during this challenging time, and we assure them of our unwavering support. We are working with the hospital officials to establish contact and engage directly with the victims’ families on the next step.”
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