The Prosecutor, Oriyomi Akinwale, who tried the accused persons, told the court that they committed the offence between May and June 2013 at Emure-Ekiti.
Akinwale said, “The fertilizers were given by the government in three trailers to ease the farmers’ difficulties, but the accused persons fraudulently diverted them.
“The accused persons on the said months, fraudulently converted 1,800 bags of fertilizers which was meant to be distributed to Ekiti farmer in Emure Local Government Area at subsidized rate of N2, 750 per bag and they sold to the farmers at the rate of N3, 500 per bag which all valued at the rate of N 9 million.”
According to the prosecutor, the offence contravened Section 1(3) of the Advanced Free Fraud and other Related Offences Act, 2006.
Ademola Okeya, the duo’s counsel, pleaded with the court to tamper Justice with mercy passing sentences on his clients, praying the court to be lenient in judgment.
The Presiding Magistrate, Bayode Owoeye, described the action of the accused persons in converting the fertilizers meant for the poor farmers to their own use against the order of the government price to the farmers as ‘callous’.
Owoeye, however, sentenced them to one year imprisonment without an option of fine.
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