The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps in Ebonyi on Monday paraded three persons for allegedly adulterating and distributing fertiliser.
The state’s Commandant of the corps, Lucy Samu, said, while parading the suspects (names withheld), that they were arrested following a tipoff.
Samu, represented by the command’s Spokesman, Mr Paul Odimba, said the suspects were caught adulterating fertilisers behind the Third-Lot of the state’s International Market, Azugwu.
“The command will conduct thorough investigation into this serious economic sabotage and duly prosecute the suspects,” she said.
Prof. Ogbonnia Chukwu, Director-General of the Ebonyi State Fertiliser and Chemical Company, said that such act contravened the National Fertiliser quality Act of 2019.
According to Chukwu, the company takes its products to the University of Nigeria Nsukka for quality status before passing it to members of the public.
Chukwu described fertiliser adulteration as a national malaise and urged relevant stakeholders to combat such act.
“Adulterated fertilisers are sold to farmers at cheap rates and such produces low agricultural yield,” he said.
One of the suspects told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that he was hired as a labourer to produce the fertiliser as he was unemployed. (NAN)
