Jigawa Governor Orders Arrest of Farmers’ Group Official Over Alleged Diversion of Federal Agricultural Inputs

He further criticized the diversion of subsidized inputs, stating, “It is a sabotage of the effort of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and at the same time a sabotage of the effort of the President. And we will not allow that to happen. So we will do our best, and whoever collects more than is expected must refund this money back to the owners.”

Namadi revealed that under the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro Pocket Programme, farmers were required to pay ₦159,187 for their inputs, with the federal government subsidizing 50% of the total cost.

However, some individuals reportedly exploited the scheme by imposing unauthorized additional charges ranging from ₦5,000 to ₦10,000 on the farmers.

“Whoever refuses to do that, we will arrest him, then let his master agro-dealer come and bail him out and refund our money. But definitely, the money collected from our people, which is collected illegally, must be refunded. And we will not allow anybody to sabotage this programme, whoever he is,” the governor warned.

Governor Umar Namadi has called on the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to take immediate action against corrupt agro-dealers, urging their replacement to prevent further jeopardy to agricultural programs.

The governor warned that the fraudulent activities of these dealers not only threaten Jigawa State’s wheat farming goals but could also undermine the success of the federal agricultural initiative across the country.

During his inspection tour of distribution centers in Birnin Kudu, Kiyawa, Jahun, Miga, and Kafin-Hausa local government areas, Namadi uncovered irregularities and instances of exploitation at several locations.