The Kaduna State Police Command has released Bala Nuhu Kafanchan, an activist and resident of Kafanchan, after he was arrested and detained over concerns he raised about the distribution of fertiliser to farmers in Jema’a Local Government Area.
Nuhu was reportedly arrested on Wednesday night after questioning the quality, quantity and distribution pattern of fertiliser being provided to farmers in the area.
His arrest followed a Facebook post in which he called for greater transparency in the distribution of the agricultural input reportedly supplied by the Kaduna State Government to support 150,000 farmers across the state.
Nuhu questioned why the fertiliser being unloaded for farmers appeared different from the product he said had been announced for distribution by the state government.
He also raised concerns over the allocation of trucks across communities, pointing out that Kafanchan, Godogodo and Jagindi Gidan Waya, which collectively have nine wards, reportedly received four trucks, while Kagoma, with three wards, received three trucks.
The activist further questioned whether the fertiliser initially allocated by the state government had been exhausted and why another product, which he described as old or substandard, was allegedly being distributed in its place.
He called on political leaders from the Kafanchan area to intervene and ensure that farmers receive the fertiliser reportedly allocated to them.
“We are not seeking conflict, we are not seeking insults or disrespect,” Nuhu stated in the post. “What we are seeking is JUSTICE, HONESTY, AND CLEAR TRANSPARENCY.”
Following his release, attention is now expected to focus on the allegations surrounding the fertiliser distribution and whether the concerns raised by the activist can be independently verified.
A source familiar with the matter had alleged that the fertiliser being distributed was of a lower grade than the one purportedly supplied by the state government, claiming that the two products differed significantly in value. The allegation has not been independently verified.
There were also allegations that security personnel were deployed to arrest Nuhu after his social media post. The Jema’a Local Government Chairman, Peter Tanko, could not be reached for comment on the allegations.
The release of the activist has brought his detention to an end, but questions surrounding the distribution of the fertiliser remain, particularly regarding the quality of the product, the allocation of supplies among communities and the transparency of the process.
