Mohamed Garba
In a sweeping crackdown on agricultural fraud, the Bauchi State Police Command has dismantled a sprawling network of illegal fertilizer production facilities, arresting five suspects and seizing tons of adulterated products and machinery.
The operation, hailed as a critical blow to counterfeit agricultural practices, has raised fresh concerns over the proliferation of substandard farming inputs in the region.
According to a press release issued Tuesday by Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Ahmed Wakil, the raids began on May 10, 2025, following actionable intelligence about Muhammad Abubakar, 32, who was allegedly producing adulterated herbicides at his Magaji Quarters residence.
Acting swiftly, police operatives intercepted Abubakar in a local market, recovering six bags of suspected fake fertilizer and 46 bottles of tampered herbicides. A subsequent search of his home uncovered a trove of illicit materials, including empty herbicide cartons, NPK and Indorama sacks, and chemicals used in the adulteration process.
“During interrogation, Abubakar confessed and implicated his accomplice, Abubakar Umar, 28, of the same neighbourhood,” Wakil stated. Days later, a second tip led police to Anas Abubakar, 32, whose shop along Gombe Road housed 44.5 bags of adulterated fertilizer. Anas admitted sourcing raw materials—including moulded kaolin, a key adulterant—from Abdulrahaman Muhammad, 24, of Bakaro Quarters.
The investigation spiralled deeper as Abdulrahaman’s supplier, Ziya’u Bala, 27, was tracked to a clandestine production site in Natsira Hamlet, where officers discovered 100 bags of fake fertilizer and raw kaolin. Anas later confessed to blending urea fertilizer with the adulterated materials, creating hazardous products sold to unsuspecting farmers.
Authorities expanded the operation, uncovering two additional facilities operated by Sama’ila Abdullahi, 34, and Mujahid Abdullahi, 32, in Kangere Village. Both admitted supplying Abdulrahaman, who funnelled materials to Anas. The raids yielded over 144 bags of adulterated fertilizer, 100 bags of kaolin, and production tools such as charcoal stoves and nylons. All machinery was confiscated as evidence.
PPRO Wakil emphasized the Command’s resolve: “These arrests and recoveries reflect our zero-tolerance stance on economic sabotage. We assure the public that all suspects will face the full wrath of the law once investigations conclude.”
The suspects, currently in custody, await arraignment on charges of fraud, endangerment, and violating agricultural safety standards. For Bauchi’s farming communities, the bust signals a hard-won victory—and a warning to fraudsters.
