The Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON, in Bauchi State, says its operation team has arrested a suspected producer of fake Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium fertilizer at Chinade town in Katagum Local Government Area of the State.
It added that no fewer than 150 bags of counterfeit fertilizer were also recovered from the suspect at his shop located at Chinade market during its market day.
The SON North East Zonal Coordinator, Adamu Abba, who paraded the suspect before journalists in the state on Saturday said he was caught producing the counterfeit Golden Fertilizer using four different combination sacks of fertilizer products of Mai Rago, Freedom, Boko and Indoorama.
He said he was caught re-bagging the product into Golden fertilizer bags with the intention of selling it as the original product to innocent consumers adding that over 150 bags of the counterfeit fertilizer were recovered from his shop.
The head of SON operations team, Murtala Sa’ad said upon the receipt of an intelligence report, he quickly mobilised his team to the site, and they were lucky to arrest him at the location.
He said: “During the operation, we were able to confiscate over 150 bags of counterfeit Golden fertilizer already made at the site. We closed down the place and got him arrested without any resistance from both the producer and the community.”
Sa’ad said the suspect would be charged to court for prosecution on violation of Section (26) in relation to the standards of the SON amended Act of 2015 after investigations are concluded.
The suspect, Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmed-Chanade, told journalists that he was pushed into the crime because of his desire to make quick money.
“I was ignorant of the existing laws on standardisation. Secondly, I wanted to make quick money since there is a high demand in the market for the Golden Fertilizer by farmers.
“I’m appealing to them (SON) to temper justice with mercy on me because this is the first time I am making this mistake,” he claimed.
Punch / Titilayo Kupoliyi
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