EFCC destroys 681 bags of adulterated fertilizer in Gombe

The Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Gombe, on Thursday, June 4, 2020 said it destroyed 681 bags of adulterated fertilizer in the state.

Mr Ibrahim Shazali, the new Northeast Zonal Head of the commission, told newsmen in Gombe that the exercise was in compliance with a court order.

Shazali said fertilizer adulteration was an act of economic sabotage, which hampered the efforts of the federal government toward ensuring food security in the country.

He stated that such acts if allowed to continue would affect incomes of peasant farmers who might unknowingly buy the adulterated fertilizers and end up not getting the desired result during harvest.

“The worst of it is that some bags of the adulterated fertilizers have inscriptions of  presidential fertilizer initiative to make people think the fertilizer is from the federal government.
“They (convicts) print the bags, bring small part of fertilizer and bring in some limestone gotten from Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State, creating an impression that this is coming from the federal government.
“This is exactly where the sabotage comes from. So, even if the fertilizers have federal government tag on them, there is need for farmers to make proper enquiries to ascertain their source,” the EFCC zonal boss said.
He warned those adulterating fertilizer, saying  the commission would apprehend anyone involved as surveillance had been strengthened to ensure they were put out of business, adding, “we are still extending our investigations to Kano and Katsina states.
While calling for more information from the public, he cautioned farmers to always engage relevant agencies like Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) before buying fertilizers from the markets.