AFAN Alerts On Frausters Extorting Farmers In Jigawa
By: Ahmed Aminu, Dutse
The Jigawa State Chapter of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), has urged security agencies to track and arrest fraudsters extorting money from farmers on the pretext of registering them in Federal and State governments’ agricultural supports facilities.
This was contained in a press statement made available to The Syndicate in Dutse, by the state AFAN chairman, Engineer Auwal Garba Ibrahim.
“It has come to our attention that certain unscrupulous individuals are falsely representing themselves as leaders/agents of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Jigawa State Chapter.
“These imposters have been contacting farmers, falsely claiming they are entitled to collect fees or payments for unsolicited services related to the ongoing agricultural programmes initiated by the Federal Government and the government of Jigawa state.
“We want to make it clear that the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Jigawa State Chapter has no such practice, and we do not charge farmers for any of our services or support programmes by the federal or state government or any organisation”.
“We strongly condemn this illegal, inhuman and unethical behaviour. The syndicate involved in this extortion scheme are not legitimate leaders/agents of our association in any capacity,” he said.
It urged farmers and the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity immediately to local authorities and AFAN offices.
“To further protect our agricultural community, we have launched an investigation into these matters and are working closely with law enforcement agencies to bring those responsible to justice”.
The association advised farmers to only engage with legitimate AFAN officials and other communication channels, which include verified phone numbers, email addresses, etc, to avoid falling victim to the fraudsters.
“AFAN, Jigawa state chapter is committed to supporting farmers and ensuring their well-being,” it added, and commended Governor Umar Namadi for visiting various agricultural inputs distribution centres across the state.
“We equally give our full support to His Excellency’s zero tolerance to any form of criminality or actions that will jeopardise the welfare and interest of the Jigawa citizens”.
The association said that it would continue to provide transparent and ethical assistance, free of charge, as it works to serve the needs of the agricultural community.
