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Police cart away N85 million maize from AFEX warehouse

By Joke Falaju, Abuja
16 July 2017   |   4:34 am
The Nigeria Police Force, Kastina Command, have been accused of carting away 5,575 bags of maize valued at N85million from AFEX Commodity Exchange Ltd warehouse.

The Nigeria Police Force, Kastina Command, have been accused of carting away 5,575 bags of maize valued at N85million from AFEX Commodity Exchange Ltd warehouse.

The Country Manager of AFEX Commodity Exchange, Ayodeji Balogun told newsmen in Abuja, that the illegal confiscation of the company’s grains was authorized by the Kastina State Commissioner of Police and executed by the Special Anti-robbery squad (SARS).

According to him, July 6, 2017, Mobile Police Officers broke into their warehouse in Zaria, along Kastina Road, handcuffed staff and refused to tender the search warrant.

When they finally presented the warrant, it was discovered it was against Diversified Consulting Company, which is unknown to them, as AFEX has no relationship with the company.

The country manager said investigation showed that Diversified Consulting Company allegedly purchased maize from traders in Funtua, Katsina State about four months ago and had not paid till date.

Explaining that the warehouse was under lease from the Federal Government to assist farmers store grains and reduce post harvest loss, he lamented that for the police to have evacuated grain stock from the warehouse when the search warrant didn’t even state such was a most degrading treatment.

The Commissioner of Police Kastina State, Usman Ali Abdullahi in a phone interview confirmed the incident, maintaining that the search warrant was at the instance of the aggrieved party who felt cheated.

“We are not aware of any company by the name AFEX Commodity Exchange, if they feel shortchanged, they can come to us for clarification or seek redress from a court of law,” he stated.

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