Rice sellers are crying foul over the seizure of 742 bags of the product from their warehouse by Customs officials in Kwara state.The traders at Oja Tuntun in Ilorin, Kwara state claimed their rice was locally produced and should not have been seized, but the Customs Service said its will investigate the claim. Correspondent Ibrahim Alege reports that Oja Tuntun is one of the major markets in Ilorin.
Last weekend, the special task force of the Nigerian Customs Service was said to have invaded the warehouse in the middle of the night and seized
742 bags of rice. The federal government has placed a ban on importation foreign rice.
The sellers said they had made several efforts to make the customs officials realise that the rice was produced locally but all to no avail.
The aggrieved rice sellers made an effort to protest to the customs office but this was rebuffed by the police.
The Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Customs Service, Kwara state, Stella Okpo who spoke off camera confirmed the seizure. She said investigation is still on going and that the service will brief the press afterwards.
