The Jigawa Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, has said on Friday that it had arrested three fertiliser dealers for allegedly adulterating the commodity with sand.
Spokesman of the command, Adamu Abdullahi, in an interaction with newsmen, said the suspects were arrested in Dutse Local Government Area of the state.
Mr Abdullahi said that two of the dealers were arrested in Dutse model market, while the other one was arrested in Takur site quarters.
He said the corps recovered 71 bags of the fake fertiliser during the operation, adding that the dealers were suspected to have adulterated the fertiliser with sand and sold it to farmers.
The spokesman said that the matter had initially been reported to the corps by Northwest Agro Input Dealers Association, NOWAIDA.
“The matter was initially reported to us by NOWAIDA after they received complaints from some farmers who bought the fertiliser and discovered that it was fake.
“Also, our Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive, CBRNE, department also investigated the fertiliser and discovered that it contained sand, which means it was adulterated,” he said.
Mr Abdullahi said further said that the fertiliser company whose brand name and pack were imitated by the suspects had denied any link with the adulterated commodity.
“The company whose name appears on the packages of the fertiliser was also invited and has denied any link with the adulterated fertiliser. In fact, they took a sample of it to go and test it in their laboratory in Kano,” he said.
He advised farmers and other consumers to endeavour to have full knowledge of any product they wished to buy, to avoid being duped.
Victims of adulterated or substandard products to report the cases to relevant authorities, he said.
He said that the suspects would soon be charged to court.
