Five members of a syndicate specialise in the diversion of granular ammonium sulphate, the key raw material in the production of fertilizer have been arrested by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC has apprehended.
Nigeriacrime.com gathered that the exhibit is a property of Fertilizer Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria FEPSAN but was diverted, bagged and sold by the saboteurs to unsuspected buyers and farmers at the rate of N25,900 per bag.
Confirming the development, Director of Public Relations, Afolabi Babawale said the Commandant General of the Corps, Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi is determined to thwart notorious moves by saboteurs who are hell-bent on sabotaging federal government policies and efforts in ensuring adequate provision of fertilizers to farmers in the country.
Noting that the arrest was made by the special intelligence squad of the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Babawale said the exhibit is a property of the Fertilizer Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria FEPSAN but was diverted, bagged and sold by the saboteurs to the unsuspected buyers and farmers at the rate of N25,900 per bag.
He said; “On the 2nd September, 2023 at about 5 20 PM, the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad, acting on credible intelligence burst two separate locations; No 3, Dogon Dutse area, Jos North and Kasuwa Kara area, Bukuru all in Jos Plateau State and succeeded in recovered large quantities of diverted bags of Granular Ammonium Sulphate GAS. The product is meant to be used for the production of fertilizer and to be sold at subsidized rates to the farmers in the federal government’s bid to sustain the national food security programme and encourage food production in the country.
“The arrested suspects are Ibrahim Muhammed, 63; Ladan Anas, 26; Umar Said Muhammed, 37; Hambale Usman, 46; and Junaid Ubale, 30.
“Among the exhibits recovered are 740 bags of prohibited granular Ammonium sulphate, 24 bags of Urea Dangote fertilizers, 65 bags of Indorama fertilizers, 130 bags of NPK Barbados fertilizers, 29 cartons of ultrachol chemical, 109 (20) liters of knapsack spraying pump among other items”.
Babawale also disclosed that the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi has been duly briefed and has ordered the immediate transfer of the five suspects and the case file to the national headquarters of the NSCDC while further investigations are ongoing.