AFAN Warns Farmers Of ₦2,000 Farm Inputs Scam And Impersonators

News in Brief:
– Farmers in Nigeria are warned of a scam where individuals impersonate the farm association, AFAN, to demand ₦2,000 for non-existent farm inputs.
– The association urges farmers to avoid such interactions and report them to the authorities, while collaborating with the EFCC to apprehend the scammers.

Nigeria’s apex farmer’s union body, the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has issued a warning to farmers in the country, urging them to be cautious of fraudulent individuals claiming to offer farm inputs in exchange for a ₦2,000 fee.

The Assistant Public Relations Officer of the body, Alhaji Salisu Mukhtar, made this known recently to newsmen. He stated that the association is not affiliated with any such scheme and warned farmers not to make any payments under the guise of obtaining agricultural supplies.

The scammers are also targeting farmers under the pretense of representing the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP) or the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS).

Subsequently, AFAN emphasises that they have no partnership with these entities. They also pointed out the discrepancy in designation of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, in the impersonator’s documents.

As a result, Nigerian farmers are hereby advised to exercise caution when dealing with unknown individuals soliciting payments for registration or access to farm inputs under these programs. AFAN encourages them to report such instances to the authorities.

Furthermore, AFAN President Arc Ibrahim Kabir has indicated that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will be notified to investigate and apprehend the perpetrators behind this fraudulent scheme.

With the government’s drive to end food insecurity through inputs distribution and other empowerment progams for local farmers, these bad actors are taking advantage of these legitmate activities to hoodwink unsuspecting growers.