On Tuesday, the Gombe State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) paraded seven suspects accused of tampering with fertilizers in the state.
In response to farmers’ continuous complaints regarding the ineffectiveness of fertilizers on their crops, this operation was initiated.
Under the leadership of State Commandant Muhammad Bello, a raid was conducted at a factory located in the Nasarawa area, denouncing the economic harm done to unsuspecting farmers.
Expressing concern, Bello highlighted the malicious actions taking place where individuals were deceitfully selling sand as fertilizer during these challenging times.
“This is a clear act of malice; how can one sell sand in place of fertilizer?” Bello questioned.
According to findings from NewsNow, it was reported that the suspects sourced limestone from Katsina State for their operations.
Encouraging farmers to validate products before purchase, Bello advised them to only procure from authorized dealers to avoid the risks associated with such counterfeit products.
“When making a purchase, you should be certain of what you are buying. Do not simply obtain fertilizer from any source to prevent falling prey to such deceptive products,” he further added.
The confession of the Plant Manager in charge of the counterfeit fertilizer manufacturing, Usman Abubakar, revealed that they had manufactured no less than 1,000 bags.
“We used to acquire materials from Kankara Local Government Area, including red limestone, white limestone, potash, and more. While our production initially started in Kano State, over the past two years, we have been operational in Gombe State. Our output in Gombe has exceeded 1,000 bags,” disclosed Abubakar.