A yet-to-be-identified man has been arrested by Forward Operations Base troops for allegedly diverting 19 seed-planting machines in Yobe State, News About Nigeria reports.
The Special Adviser to Governor Mai Mala Buni on Security Matters, retired Brigadier General Dahiru Abdulsalam, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.
He noted that the 43-year-old man was said to have pilfered the planters which were among the items the state government recently distributed to farmers for free under its Agriculture Empowerment Programme.
He stated that the man was arrested in the early hours of Tuesday morning with the equipment concealed in a bus on the Potiskum to Gombe Road.
He also said that the suspect could not provide any proof to show that he was a beneficiary of the programme.
Abdulsalam disclosed that the suspect and the recovered items would be handed over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps for prosecution.
He stated, “Today, at about 00:10 AM, troops of FOB Potiskum arrested a man in possession of 19 seed planters.
“The items which are suspected to have been issued for the Yobe State Agricultural Empowerment Programme were concealed in a blue coloured 18-seater bus with Registration No: KTG 449 YG.
“The owner of the items had no letter of authority for issue of the items to him or anyone else.
“The suspect who hails from Jigawa State claimed that he bought the items from one Alhaji Babaji with phone number 08032837370 in Damaturu at the rate of N50,000.00 each.
“He stated that he was conveying the items to resell in Dutse, Jigawa.
The Buni had reportedly, directed security agents to arrest anyone found moving the equipment out of the state.
