BY AGNES NWORIE, ABAKALIKI
The Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, Ebonyi State Command, has arraigned some men for allegedly selling adulterated fertilizer to farmers in the state in the name of the State Fertilizer and Chemical Company Limited.
The defendants, Lebechi Ogboji, aged 34 and Chukwuibe Chinedu, 32 were allegedly caught on July 27, 2021 at Onuebonyi road beside Ebonyi International market where they import, export, distribute and sell adulterated fertilizer in bags to farmers in the name of the state government.
At the Magistrate’s Court sitting in Abakaliki, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the three count-charges slammed against them by the police.
The charge read, “That you Lebechi Ogboji, ,Chukwuibe Chinedu and others now at large on the 27th day of July 2021 at Onuebonyi road beside international market in Ebonyi State, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit import, export and sell adulterated fertilizer without lawful authority and thereby committed an offence contrary to National Fertilizer Quality Control ACT 2019 No 23 and punishable under section 519 of the criminal code ACT 2004 laws of the Federation of Nigeria.
“You did commit a felony to wit import, export and sell of adulterated fertilizer to farmers in Ebonyi State and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 18c punishable under section 19 of the National Fertilizer Quality Control ACT 2019 No 23 law of the Federation of Nigeria.
“That you did carry out business of selling adulterated fertilizer in the name of Ebonyi State Fertilizer and Chemical Company Limited without lawful authority and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 2(1)(6) punishable under section 20(1)5 of National Fertilizer Quality Control ACT 2019 No23.”
The defence counsel, Odoh Jonathan, made an application for the bail of the defendants.
The prosecuting counsel, Lilian Akam opposed the bail application.
Speaking, the trial Magistrate, Blessing Ibeabuchi- Chukwu granted the defendants bail of N500,000 with one surety each in the same amount. The sureties must be resident within jurisdiction of the court, deposit full photograph of selves to the court.
The matter was adjourned to August 1, 2022 for hearing.
