THE Seme Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), has dismissed the allegation of releasing poisoned rice seized from smugglers, which had reportedly resulted in multiple deaths in the town.
“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 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,” he said.
Sulaiman, however, said some unscrupulous elements were wearing the garment of journalism to disinform members of the public with baseless, fictitious and malicious accusations to score cheap points instead of the social responsibility they were supposed to uphold.
“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 Seme command, under Dr Ben Oramalugo, remains committed to its mandate of revenue generation, suppressing smuggling, and facilitating legitimate trade professionally in accordance with extant government fiscal policies and laws,” he said. \
