An FCT Magistrate Court has remanded Arc. Kabir Ibrahim on allegations of impersonation, criminal intimidation, and inciting public disturbance against the President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Dr Farouk Rabiu Mudi.
Recall that Dr Mudi won the AFAN elections in 2021, but Arc. Ibrahim has continued to claim leadership of AFAN in spite of the judgments of the Federal High Court and of the Court of Appeal, which have affirmed the leadership of Dr Farouk.
In her ruling on Friday, Magistrate Ekpeyong noted thus: “That you, Arc. Kabir Ibrahim, male, adult, was once lawfully elected as National President of All Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN. However, upon the expiration of your tenure as provided under the Constitution of the Association, you willfully refused to vacate office. Consequently, the Association duly elected Mr. Farouk Mudi as its National President in 2021 and has since been recognized as valid.”
“That you, Arc. Kabir Ibrahim contested your removal before the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/322/2020, which was decided against you on the 22nd of March, 2022. You further appealed to the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, where judgment was again entered against you. Despite these clear and binding decisions, you have continued to parade yourself as National President of the Association. By so doing, you have committed the offence of impersonation, contrary to Section 132 of the Penal Code Act.”
“That you, Arc. Kabir Ibrahim, in concert with some of your unlawful accomplices—who are presently at large and still being searched for—have continued to mislead the public and disrupt the lawful activities of AFAN by conducting unauthorized functions in the name of the Association, thereby committing the offence of criminal intimidation, contrary to Section 397 of the Penal Code.”
“That you, Arc. Kabir Ibrahim, by your persistent unlawful acts of impersonation and intimidation, have conducted yourself in a manner likely to cause breach of peace, public disorder, and disunity within the Association and the wider public, thereby committing the offence of inciting disturbance, contrary to Section 114 of the Penal Code Act.”
When the charges were read before him and he was unable to provide sureties to secure his bail, the presiding judge ordered that he be remanded at the Keffi Correctional Centre pending the determination of the suit filed against him.
Reacting to the judgment, Dr Mudi cited instances where Arc. Ibrahim allegedly sabotaged AFAN in his quest to control the over 15 million farmers and over 80 commodity associations under his watch.
According to Mudi, Arc. Ibrahim wrote to the Nigeria Sugar Development Council (NSDC), threatening the body from granting support to outgrower farmers set to benefit from loans to augment the country’s sugar supply deficit, currently at 2%.
Mudi also claimed that Ibrahim wrote to Tingo Mobile, warning them against investing in Nigerian farmers under the leadership of Dr Mudi-led AFAN, which ultimately blocked foreign direct investment in the agric value chain, amongst many others, he sabotaged.
