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Anthony Ufoh

 The operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence (NSCDC) have intercepted the state’s government-owned tractors and caterpillars being smuggled out for illegal sale.

Zagazola Makama, a security and counterintelligence expert, made this known on  Monday, 24 November 2025, on his verified X account (formerly Twitter) as he wrote that there’s been an  “internal sabotage network” within the State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

According to him, “It was gathered that the tractors, part of Governor Mai Mala Buni’s agricultural support programme, were reportedly diverted by officials who have long been suspected of selling government-owned farm machinery to neighbouring states.

NSCDC personnel intercepted two tractors being moved from an estate along the bypass in Damaturu and headed towards the Nayinawa axis, allegedly en route out of the state.

A security source, according to Makama, said that the tractors bore clear government insignia, leaving no doubt about their ownership.

 However, more than one month after the interception, no official from the Ministry of Agriculture, including the Commissioner, Permanent Secretary or any departmental director, has stepped forward to officially claim the machinery or explain the circumstances surrounding the attempted diversion.

He wrote, “These tractors carry bold government identification. Despite that, no authorised official has come to claim them or provide documentation. Instead, we have seen strong behind-the-scenes pressure to release them quietly,” the source said.

According to the source, the NSCDC officer who made the arrest insisted that all parties involved must appear to provide explanations before the tractors could be released. His refusal to bow to pressure allegedly angered influential interests both within the Corps and in the state bureaucracy.

The officer who intercepted the tractors was subsequently transferred out of Yobe State in what insiders described as an attempt to “bury the case and silence resistance”.

Investigations further revealed that this was not the first diversion of agricultural machinery under the state’s empowerment scheme.

Some tractors were reportedly smuggled and sold in a neighbouring state months earlier, with no internal accountability action taken.

The diversion of the tractors undermines Governor Buni’s vision of strengthening mechanised farming, boosting food production and mitigating food shortages in Yobe.

A senior agricultural stakeholder, who pleaded anonymity, said: This is pure economic sabotage. These tractors were procured to support farmers and strengthen food security. Diverting them for personal gain is not just theft, it is an attack on the state’s development.”

The tractors, according to Makama, remain in NSCDC custody pending official claim and clarifications.

Both the NSCDC and the Ministry of Agriculture have issued public statements on the development as of the time of filing this report.