News
Ebonyi Commissioner decries adulteration of fertilizer
The Commissioner for Commerce and Industry who doubles as the General Manager, Ebonyi State Fertilizer and Chemical Company Ltd, Engr Prof. Ogbonnaya Chukwu has decried the rate at which Agro-Dealers are adulterating fertilizers.
Interacting with Newsmen in Abakaliki, the Commissioner said it is a major problem in the company and the country at large.
According to him, “Adulteration is our main problem. Yesterday, I inaugurated a tax force on adulteration, they are eight (8) Civilians. They will go out just like they did last year, some of the cases are still in Court but I have adopted my own method as far as it doesn’t mean we are trampling on anybody’s legal right.
“If we discover you adulterated fertilizer, we won’t sell to you; yes we can tell you ‘go with your money, we won’t sell to you and you go to other fertilizer blending plants to buy but you can’t sell in Ebonyi.
“We will use the force of Government on you. You can’t sell because you won’t tell us you did not adulterate it. So that is one of the measures because that is one of the greatest problem we have today in Nigeria – adulteration of fertilizer which can come in different forms.
“When we talk about adulteration, you think adulteration is just that they are using wrong raw material(s), no, the greatest form of adulteration first and foremost is underweight, underweighing the bag is the worst form that can also affect the crops.
“For instance now, if you have one hectare of rice farm, you are supposed to apply 4 bags of NPK 20:10:10 on it, you do topdressing with 2 bags of Urea, that’s the standard for the crop to do very well.
“Now, a bag of fertilizer is 50kg multiplied by 4, a hectare should receive 200kg, if you underweigh to let’s say 45kg, you are giving 180kg to the same size of farm. The crops will not get what they want because the crops will not talk but they will talk one day during harvest, you will know they are outspoken because they will not do well, you will have a poor yield. That is a form of adulteration, under-weighing.
“Another form is ‘tinkering with the recipe.’ If I’m doing NPK 20:10:10, the recipe is different from that of 15:15:15. For instance, if I’m doing 20:10:10, a bag of it should contain 21%DAP, 16%MOP, 36%Urea and 27%Limestone Granules.
“Now, if I tamper with them, especially the most active ingredients: DAP, MOP and Urea by reducing the quantity and increase that of the Limestone Granules, Limestone does not do much in fertilizer production and that’s why we call it ‘filler'(it’s just to occupy space) but it’s very important because it acts as a base to reduce the acidity of the soil because by using inorganic fertilizer, you are increasing the soil acidity and most crops do not tolerate acidic soil so, that’s why we use base which is essentially Calcium carbonate(chalk).
“So the main function is to reduce the acidity of the soil and it is the cheapest of all the raw materials. If you just go and make it 60% and do the other ones just to make your 100%, it is still fertilizer but you have changed the recipe. It is still adulteration which is always very dangerous for crops because they will not even do well.
“Another form of adulteration is you take a bag of NPK 20:10:10 from us, you go out there take a bag of 27:13:13 and pour it into it and seal it back and sell it as NPK 27:13:13 – very dangerous to farmers and to crops because when you use it to farm rice, you are not to do topdressing with Urea.”
He however noted that increased cost is not a welcomed excuse for adulteration, advocating his preference to sell quality rather than quantity as a result of adulteration to the detriment of farmers, saying an Agro-Dealer defaulter has been trapped down.
“Because fertilizer is very costly this year does not mean I will adulterate, I can make it more costly and prepare to increase price here better than to adulterate and that’s why I told Agro-Dealers “you can never get adulteration to come from here. It’s from them, we know some of them, some have been identified already.
“Some of them do it in their house because they have stitching machines there but when we start, if you don’t have a warehouse, you will not sell.
“I have blacklisted one this year based on the information I got, he cannot buy here and I told him that I didn’t mention his name when we met on Tuesday. I said it clearly, if you have been identified, forget it, we will not sell to you and you will not sell in Ebonyi. If you bring from another place, you will not sell in Ebonyi because there is no guarantee if you adulterate,” he reiterated.
Prof. Ogbonnaya further maintained that the Agro-Dealers are the brains behind this adulteration, noting that blending plants can rarely adulterate, especially under the supervision of the Federal Government monitoring agents.
“It is very very rare for a Blending Plant to adulterate; very very rare, you know why? You will not know when they come because here we are policed by the Federal Government, there are Collateral Managers also working with us.
By Okey Maduforo Awka
Six members of the Indigenous People Of Biafra IPOB have been declared wanted by the Nigerian Police .
The six persons led by Mr Chukwuebuka Ohaechesi, include Emma Okonkwo, Jude Uwa, Gentle Okoro, Uchenna Dike, and Emmanuel Nwankwo who are said to be at large.
The were said to have fled to neighboring states in the South East hence signaling the other four Police Commands in the geopolitical zone to assist in the manhunt for them
The Police accused them of executing protests against the detaintion of the leader of IPOB Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who is currently serving jail terms in Sokoto Correction Center.
According to a statement issued by the Abia Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, ASP Eguavon Omokaro, the individuals are suspected members of IPOB who have allegedly participated in protests at various times and locations within the state.
The statement alleged that the protests were organised in connection with the continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and demands for justice through the judicial process.
The Police Command further stated that these protests have allegedly resulted in breaches of peace and disruptions to law and order in Abia State. Consequently, the Police Intelligence Department reportedly concluded that the named individuals were among the principal organisers and coordinators of the demonstrations.
The statement further alleged that; ;
“It should be noted that on every 30th day of May, these men and their cohorts convene for the so-called remembrance of Biafra, holding clandestine meetings at various locations in the name of the emancipation of the Biafran Republic and the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.”
According to the police, the six individuals were invited on several occasions for questioning in relation to the allegations against them.
The statement indicated that the first invitation was issued on 18 December 2025, followed by a second invitation on 7 February 2026, and a third invitation on 3 March 2026.
The police alleged that the individuals failed to honour all three invitations.
The statement further asserted:
“These individuals were invited by the police on several occasions. Firstly, on 18 December 2025, they failed to honour the invitation. Again, they were invited on 7th February 2026 and failed to appear. Finally, they were invited on 3 March 2026, and they also failed to present themselves before the police.” It stated.
As a result, the Abia State Police Command announced that all six individuals had been formally declared wanted.
The police appealed to members of the public to provide any reliable information that could lead to their arrest and prosecution, stating that informants would be suitably rewarded.
The declaration of the six individuals as wanted persons is linked to allegations of their participation in pro-Biafra activities, demonstrations concerning the detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and their alleged association with IPOB, an organisation that has been the subject of extensive scrutiny and security operations by Nigerian authorities.
In a statement shared on social media, VeryDarkMan argued that Wike may not fully understand the pain and trauma experienced by parents of abducted children and affected teachers. He claimed that the minister’s children were educated abroad, away from the security challenges facing many Nigerian families.Nigerian entertainment news
The activist stated that insecurity, kidnapping, and attacks on schools remain serious national concerns and should not be dismissed or reduced to political issues. He stressed that the fears and frustrations of parents whose children face security threats deserve greater attention from public officials.
VeryDarkMan further warned that political power is temporary, urging leaders to remain accountable to the people and sensitive to the challenges confronting ordinary Nigerians.
DSS Detains Novelist Okey Ndibe at Lagos Airport, Awaits Clearance from Abuja
Renowned Nigerian novelist, journalist, and academic, Okey Ndibe, was reportedly detained by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) upon his arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Monday morning.
Ndibe disclosed his situation in a message sent while in custody, stating: “I’ve been with the SSS now for more than an hour. They’re waiting for clearance from some oga before they let me go.”
According to sources close to the writer, his detention follows a pattern that dates back to previous administrations, including that of former President Goodluck Jonathan, during which he was frequently stopped and questioned over his critical commentaries on Nigerian governance and public affairs.
However, associates noted that Ndibe has largely stepped away from active commentary in Nigerian media over the past two years, focusing instead on writing books and his academic responsibilities at University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he teaches.
A close friend of the author and former Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, C. Don Adinuba, said similar incidents had occurred several times in the past. He explained that airport DSS officials typically contacted their superiors in Abuja before eventually releasing Ndibe.
“It is a pity that this agency doesn’t update its database to enable officers on duty at the airport to know that the agency no longer regards Prof. Ndibe as a security threat to the administration,” Adinuba said.
He added that on previous occasions, the DSS had apologized to the respected author after determining that his detention was unwarranted.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official statement from the DSS regarding the circumstances surrounding Ndibe’s latest detention. The development has raised renewed concerns about the treatment of government critics and the continued use of security watchlists affecting returning Nigerians.
Hegseth made the disclosure during a press conference at the White House on Wednesday, where he said the directive was issued about a year ago after Trump became aware of attacks against Christians in Nigeria.
He explained that the operation involved behind-the-scenes coordination and deployment of military assets, adding that intelligence gathered during the mission contributed to the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, identified as ISIS’s second-in-command, during a joint operation involving U.S. and Nigerian forces in the Lake Chad Basin.
“Maybe a year ago, he heard the call of Nigerian Christians who were being targeted and killed by ISIS in Nigeria, and he said, ‘Pete, I want the War Department to focus on ensuring that we do everything we can to protect those Christians,’” Hegseth said.
According to him, the operation yielded significant results in the fight against terrorism in the region.
“And we got the assets there, and over the last month, and there hasn’t been much coverage of this, we killed ISIS number two in Nigeria, who’s most responsible for killing Christians and trying to target the U.S. homeland,” he stated.
Hegseth added that working on the Intel gathered, they have killed hundreds of ISIS members who were targeting and killing Christians in Nigeria.
The U.S. defence chief described the operation as part of the Trump administration’s broader commitment to counterterrorism efforts and the protection of vulnerable communities.
“So there are a lot of things we do that the media pays attention to, and a lot of things that the President empowers the Department to do on behalf of the American people that he deserves great credit for,” Hegseth stated.
ISIS second in command, Abu-Bilal al-Minuki was killed in a coordinated U.S.-Nigeria military operation in northeast Nigeria earlier this month.
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