Taraba community accuses police of abetting a fraudster

Sunday, February 16, 2025 - Community leaders from Shagogo in Donga local government council of Taraba State, have accused the state police command of aiding a fraudulent cement dealer who allegedly embezzled N6.14 million meant for a consignment of cement.

According to the leaders, the community had ordered 900 bags of cement on January 14, 2025, at the rate of N8,000 per bag.

The cement, as made known by the community, was intended for church construction projects, however, upon the truck’s arrival in Donga, the driver refused to hand over the consignment, claiming that the payment had been made to the wrong dealer.

The community reported the matter to the police area command, leading to the interception and detention of the truck.

Additionally, the leaders obtained a court order from Area 1 Court in Donga to prevent the release of the vehicle and its cargo until the case was resolved.

Speaking to journalists in Jalingo on Sunday, the kindred head of Shagogo, Zaki Terngu Agere, alleged that despite the legal measures taken, the police unilaterally released the truck and the cement without consulting the complainants.

“The transaction was conducted with a known cement marketer in Gboko, Benue State but upon the truck’s arrival in Donga, the dealer who received N6.14 million via bank transfer switched off all his phone lines. The issue has been causing unrest in the community since January.” Agere said.

He expressed shock over the police’s decision to release the truck despite the ongoing investigation and a court order pasted on the vehicle restraining its movement.

Agere called on the Inspector General of Police, IGP, and other security agencies to help recover either the cement or the community’s money, stressing that the funds were painstakingly gathered through the efforts of community members.

When reached, the state police spokesperson, Usman Abdullahi, said the matter had been reported to the police.

“The matter was reported to the state police command and later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for proper investigation.

The CID obtained an order to release the vehicle to its owner, but we assure the community that we will track down the suspect behind the fraud,” Usman stated.