Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Yobe State have intercepted two brand-new government tractors that were allegedly being smuggled out of the state for illicit sale, exposing what security sources call a deep-rooted “internal sabotage ring” operating inside the Yobe State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
The seized tractors belong to Governor Mai Mala Buni’s flagship agricultural mechanisation programme aimed at empowering local farmers and boosting food production in the insurgency-ravaged state.
According to reliable security sources, the interception took place on 22 October 2024 when vigilant NSCDC personnel stopped the two tractors being transported from an estate along the Damaturu bypass towards the Nayinawa axis, a route suspected to lead outside Yobe State.
The vehicles bore unmistakable government markings and serial numbers, confirming they were state property. Yet, more than one month later, no official from the Ministry of Agriculture not the Commissioner, Permanent Secretary, nor any director has come forward to claim the tractors or provide legitimate documentation justifying their movement at night.
“These are clearly marked government assets. Over 30 days have passed and nobody from the ministry has shown up with papers or an explanation.
"Instead, there has been intense pressure from high places to release the tractors without questions,” a senior NSCDC source disclosed on condition of anonymity.
The source added that the arresting officer, who stood firm against the pressure, was promptly transferred out of Yobe State in what insiders describe as a calculated move to “kill the case” and intimidate other officers.
Further investigations revealed that this is not an isolated incident. Several tractors from the same empowerment scheme were reportedly diverted and sold in a neighbouring state months earlier, with no arrests or disciplinary action taken against the culprits.
A senior stakeholder in Yobe’s agricultural sector, speaking anonymously, condemned the development as “economic sabotage of the highest order.”
“These tractors were bought with taxpayers’ money to put food on tables and strengthen mechanised farming. Stealing and selling them is not just corruption – it is a direct attack on food security and the governor’s efforts to rebuild the state,” the stakeholder said.
As at the time of filing this report, the two tractors remain in NSCDC custody in Damaturu. Neither the NSCDC Yobe Command nor the Ministry of Agriculture has issued any official statement on the incident.
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