Pastor, Mallam jailed for fertilizer fraud

In what can be described as a defilement to their callings, a pastor and a Mallam, have been jailed for fraud in Ekiti State.

Pastor Anjorin Adanikin of the Deeper Life Bible Church and Mallam Maliu Aliyu, were sentenced to one year in prison on Thursday by an Ado-Ekiti Magistrate Court for defrauding local farmers in the distribution of fertilizer in 2013.

They were accused of selling 1,800 bags of fertilizer to farmers in Emure Local Government Area at N3,500 instead of at a subsidised rate of N2,750 per bag thereby lining their pockets with millions of Naira.

The Police Prosecutor, Sgt.Oriyomo Akinwale, told the court that the accused committed the offence between May and June, 2013 at Emure-Ekiti.

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Oriyomi said the fraudulently sold bags of fertilizer were loaded in three trailers and were released by the government to help the local farmers boost their yields.

According to him, the offence contravened Section 1(3) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and other Related Offence Act LFN 2006.

But the counsel to the accused, Ademola Okeya, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy.

The counsel’s plea was, however, rejected by the presiding Magistrate, Bayode Owoeye, who described the accused persons’ action as “callous,” and subsequently sentenced them to one year in jail.

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