The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has confirmed the arrest of a syndicate of five for allegedly diverting and adulterating chemical products meant to be used by the federal government to produce subsidized fertilizers for farmers.
Goldennewsng understands that the syndicate were apprehended by the Special Intelligence Squad of the Commandant General NSCDC.
In a statement made available to journalists on Tuesday, the spokesman of the NSCDC, Afolabi Babawale, said the suspects arrested were specialized in the diversion of granular ammonium sulphate, the key raw material in the production of fertilizer.
He noted that the diverted products are property of the Fertilizer Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN) but were diverted, bagged and sold by the saboteurs to buyers and farmers at the rate of 25,900 naira per bag.
“On the 2nd September 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 products are meant to be used for the production of fertilizer and to be sold at a subsidized rate to the farmers in the federal government’s bid to sustain the national food security programme and encourage food production in the country,” Babawale narrated.
He explained further that the five suspects were arrested from the two separate locations and many bags of different fertilizer products were recovered.
The arrested suspects are Ibrahim Muhammed, 63; Ladan Anas, 26; Umar Said Muhammed, 37; Hambale Usman, 46; and Junaid Ubale, 30.
Among the exhibit recovered are 740 bags of granular ammonium sulphate, 24 bags of Urea Dangote fertilizers, 65 bags of indorama fertilizers, 130 bags of NPK Barbados fertilizers, 29 cartons of ultracold chemical, 109 (20) litres of knapsack spraying pump among other items.
Goldennewsng learnt that the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi, has been duly briefed on the development and has since ordered the immediate transfer of the five suspects and the case file to the national headquarters of the NSCDC while further investigation is ongoing.