NSCDC Busts Adulterated Fertilizer Products Syndicate in Jos

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

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, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has apprehended five suspects, who are alleged to be members of a syndicate which specialises in the diversion of granular ammonium sulphate, the key raw material in the production of fertilizer.

A statement issued yesterday by the spokesman of the NSCDC, Afolabi Babawale, disclosed that the five suspects were arrested by the special intelligence squad of the commandant-general of the agency.

He noted that the diverted granular ammonium sulphate, used in the production of fertilizer, is a property of the 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.

Babawale said: “On September 2, 2023, at about 1720hrs, the commandant-general’s special intelligence squad, acting on a credible intelligence busted two separate locations, No 3, Dogon Dutse area, Jos North, and Kasuwa Kara area, Bukuru, all in Jos Plateau State, and succeeded in recovering 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 a subsidised rate to the farmers, in the federal government bid to sustain the national food security programme and encourage food production in the country.”

He further explained that five suspects were arrested from the two separate locations, and a large quantity (bags) of different fertilizer product materials was recovered.

Babawale disclosed that the arrested suspects are Ibrahim Muhammed, 63; Ladan Anas, 26; Umar Said Muhammed, 37; Hambale Usman, 46, and Junaid Ubale, 30, adding that among the exhibits recovered from them are 740 bags of prohibited GAS, 24 bags of Urea Dangote fertilizers, 65 bags of indorama fertilizers, 130 bags of NPK Barbados fertilizers, 29 cartons of ultrachol chemical, 109 (20) litres of knapsack spraying pump, among other items.

He also disclosed that the Commandant-General of the NSCDC, Dr. Ahmed 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 investigation is still ongoing.