Visit, condole, compensate families of rice sale victims, Northern Youths urge Customs

By Abiodun OBA

The Nigeria Customs Service has been called upon to visit, condole and compensate families that lost relations during the sale of seized rice in Lagos in the spirit of humanity.

The leadership of Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) made the call at a press conference in Kaduna on Tuesday.

Isah Abubakar, the National President NYCN, said some of these people killed were the bread winners of their families, running around daily to provide for their families.

“Now the family members have been turned into orphans and widows. We’ve always been known as the voice of the voiceless, we would always push our demand to the ladder,” the group said.

The youth group called on leaders to attach importance to the life of Nigerians, adding that in the western world because of one person there would be a major operation just to save a life, unlike what obtained here in Nigeria.

“It’s unfortunate that from 1999 till date, if you take proper statistics over 1 million people were killed due to insincerity, incompetence and carelessness. People that have died because government cannot protect life and properties were more than the people who died from illnesses in Nigeria,” he alleged.

He also lamented over the plight of farmers in the North who could no longer access their farms, and alleged that banditry and other criminal acts in the North-West caused hunger and starvation amongst the people.

Abubakar observed that people were now waiting for trucks carrying food items to block and vandalize the food items, so as to eat and survive.

“We are calling on Nigerians to join the advocacy for good governance, to join the advocacy to stop the looting of public funds.”

The Youth Council, however, appealed to the authorities to desist from giving out food stuff such as rice that was kept for over 20 years, to the underprivileged members of the society.