Man lands in court over N53m fertiliser scam

Ibrahim Daneji, a middle-aged Nigerian man has been arraigned before Justice Mohammed Tukur of the Kaduna State High Court over an N53m fertiliser scam.

Daneji was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on 15 counts bordering on criminal breach of trust to the tune of N53m.

The EFCC in a statement by its Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, alleged that Daneji diverted 16 truck-load of fertilizers from Notore Chemical Industries Ltd, Rivers State, belonging to one Alhaji Kabiru Suleiman.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Following his plea, the EFCC counsel, Maryam Lawal, urged the court to remand the defendant in the Kaduna Correctional Centre and asked the court for a date for the commencement of trial.

The defendant’s counsel, A.Y. Mohammed urged the court to grant his client bail.

Justice Tukur granted the defendant bail in the sum of N28m with one surety in like sum, adding that the surety must be resident within the Kaduna metropolis and show evidence of tax payment for two years.

The judge adjourned the matter till June 3, 2021, for trial.

One of the charges read, “That you Ibrahim Zailani Daneji sometime in March 2019 in Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, while entrusted with 600 bags of fertilizers ( loaded on the truck with number plate XB 927 AAK) worth the sum of three million, three hundred thousand naira only, property of one Alhaji Kabiru Suleiman disposed of same and convert the proceeds to your personal use and you thereby committed an offence contrary and punishable under section 298 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017.”