Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has destroyed over 1,200 bags of adulterated fertilizer in Gombe state.
The Head of operations Gombe Zonal Office of the Commission, Mr Ibrahim Shazali, who stated this during an interview with journalists shortly after the destruction of the product in Gombe on Thursday, said exercise was in compliance with a court order.
Shazali said the fertiliser was seized from 8 suspected fake fertiliser dealers operating in Gombe and Bauchi state in July 2019 in Gombe following an intelligence report.
He said: “When the commission was alerted, the intelligence section of the zone (ISOS) swung into action, on Saturday 27th July, 2019 and raided three illegal factories located at Lariski Village in Kirfi Local Government Area of Bauchi state and Gombe Metropolis at where the said adulterated fertilizer is manufactured.”
He described fertilizer adulteration as act of economic sabotage, which hampers the efforts of the federal government toward ensuring food security in the country.
Shazali said 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.
He added the commission has secured the conviction of the suspects.
