The operatives of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have arrested five suspects, who are members of a syndicate that specializes in the diversion of granular ammonium sulphate, the key raw material for production of fertilizer.
This was contained in a statement on Tuesday by the Public Relations Officer of NSCDC, Mr Babawale Afolabi, and made available to newsmen in Abuja.
He noted that the diverted granular ammonium sulphate that is used in the production of fertilizer was for 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.
“Determined to thwart notorious moves by saboteurs who are hell bent to sabotage federal government policies and efforts in ensuring adequate provision of fertilizers to farmers in the country thereby provide an enabling environment to agro allied activities in the country, the special intelligence squad of the commandant general of the NSCDC have apprehended five suspects, who are members of the syndicate who specialize in the diversion of granular, ammonium sulphate, the key raw material in the production of fertilizer,” Afolabi stated.
According to him, “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,vJos 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 products are meant to be used for the production of fertilizer and to be sold at subsidized rate to the farmers in the federal government bid to sustain the national food security programme and encourage food production in the country,” Afolabi said.
He disclosed further that five suspects were arrested from the two separate locations and large quantities of bags of different fertilizer products materials were recovered.
The arrested suspects according to the statement 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 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.
He 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 investigation is ongoing.
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