Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture (BoA) and the Director-General of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) risk possible arrest after repeatedly shunning invitations from the House Committee
Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, Rep. Chike Okafor, has threatened to issue a bench warrant for the arrest of the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture (BoA), Ayo Sontinrin, and the Director-General of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), Dr. Abubakar Adamu Dabban, over their failure to appear before the committee.
Okafor issued the warning on Tuesday during the resumed investigative hearing into the alleged mismanagement of N1.2 trillion agricultural intervention funds.
He said the committee would have no choice but to invoke the full powers of the National Assembly should the officials fail to honour the committee’s summons at the next session.
“The Bank of Agriculture only responded with the excuse of having a new Managing Director. I wrote back to the MD to say that the bank is an ongoing concern and that having a new head is not an acceptable reason not to honour the invitation of this panel,” Rep. Okafor said.
“I sincerely hope that the Bank of Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria will be present tomorrow. If we don’t see them, we will invoke all the powers of parliament to compel their appearance.”
Okafor noted that while some institutions had fully cooperated in providing documents, opening their books, and submitting to forensic audits others had repeatedly ignored invitations.
He recalled that the maiden hearing held on April 8, 2025, had the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in attendance, while the second hearing on June 16 featured the apex bank and participating financial institutions under the Anchor Borrowers Programme.
He also confirmed that Sterling Bank had been cleared of any outstanding indebtedness following a CBN confirmation letter dated June 25, 2025.
He added that compliant institutions would receive commendations in the committee’s final report.
CBN, Microfinance Bank Disagree Over Disbursement Figures
The committee also queried discrepancies in disbursement records involving Prospect Microfinance Bank.
Managing Director of the bank, Isaac Inwang, told lawmakers that the bank received N14.6 million from the CBN, which it disbursed to 30 poultry farmers, recovering N6 million so far—funds he said were still in the bank pending further CBN directives.
However, the CBN faulted the claim, insisting that N15.5 million was released to the Microfinance Bank.
A Deputy Director from the apex bank, Hassan Tom, accused the bank of violating guidelines requiring immediate remittance of recovered funds within a stipulated timeframe, noting that the bank had held the money for over three years.
The committee directed the Microfinance Bank to submit all relevant documents on Wednesday, November 19, and prepare to respond to new issues raised by the CBN.
Seeds Council Cleared of Wrongdoing
The Committee also discharged the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) after its Director-General, Mr. Fatuhu Muhammed, clarified that the agency played no role in the implementation of the Anchor Borrowers Programme.
Okafor confirmed that the CBN had previously communicated this position to the panel, commending the DG for honouring the summons “out of respect for constituted authority” and as a former member of the House.
Background
The House of Representatives had on July 1, 2025, directed its Committees on Nutrition and Food Security; Agricultural Production and Services; Agricultural Colleges and Institutions; and Finance to conduct a comprehensive probe into allegations of widespread misuse of agricultural intervention funds across agencies, schemes, and programmes outside the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
