Jigawa State Chapter of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has raised concerns about fraudulent individuals impersonating the association and extorting money from farmers.
According to a statement issued by the association’s state chairman, Engineer Auwal Garba Ibrahim, these imposters claim to offer services related to federal and state government agricultural support programmes.
However, AFAN has made it clear that they do not charge farmers for any of their services or support programmes.
“It has come to our attention that certain unscrupulous individuals are falsely representing themselves as leaders/agents of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Jigawa State Chapter. These imposters have been contacting farmers, falsely claiming they are entitled to collect fees or payments for unsolicited services related to the ongoing agricultural programs initiated by the Federal Government and the government of Jigawa.
“We want to make it clear that the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Jigawa State Chapter has no such practice, and we do not charge farmers for any of our services or support programs by the Federal or State Government or any organisation.”
Engineer Auwal Garba Ibrahim noted; “We strongly condemn this illegal, inhuman and unethical behaviour. The syndicate involved in this extortion scheme are not legitimate leaders/agents of our association in any capacity. We urge farmers and the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity immediately to local authorities and our office.
“To further protect our agricultural community, we have launched an investigation into these matters and are working closely with law enforcement agencies to bring those responsible to justice”.
The association advises farmers to only engage with our legitimate officials and other communication channels, which include verified phone numbers, email addresses, etc, to avoid falling victim to these fraudulent activities.
The statement stated further that “AFAN, Jigawa State Chapter is committed to supporting farmers and ensuring their well-being. We want to commend His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Jigawa State Malam Umar Namadi for his official visits to various distribution centres across the state. We equally give our full support to His Excellency’s zero tolerance on any form of criminality or actions that will jeopardise the welfare and interest of the Jigawa citizens”.
He, therefore, assures the farmers that AFAN will continue to provide transparent and ethical assistance, free of charge, as they work to serve the needs of the agricultural community.
and then