Police Nab Former NCAN President Over Alleged Economic Sabotage and Abuse of Office

By Uche Ezeadigwe, Awka

The former President of the National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN), Mr. Ojo Ajanaku, was arrested this morning in Garki Abuja by operatives of the Nigerian Security Agency.

Mr Ajanaku was accused for alleged multiple charges, including economic sabotage, disobedience of court orders, and abuse of office.

The arrest follows years of controversy surrounding Mr. Ajanaku’s refusal to comply with a 2019 court judgment that restricted his leadership tenure to November 2022. His decision to hold on to office beyond the court-ordered deadline and failure to conduct elections plunged the association into prolonged crisis, violating its constitution and creating instability within the cashew industry.

According to information gatherd by Security and judicial officials who do not want their names in prints confirmed that the charges against Mr. Ajanaku relate to actions deemed harmful to Nigeria’s agricultural and economic interests.

Our reporter gathered that he is accused of frustrating government policy directives, misrepresenting the state of the cashew sector, and engaging in practices that undermined confidence in one of Nigeria’s most important non-oil export industries.

According to court filings, Mr. Ajanaku will remain in custody pending further hearings, with the prosecutor, Mr Katangora Garba
expected to press for full accountability for his actions. His arrest signals a decisive step by law enforcement agencies to ensure that economic sabotage and disregard for judicial orders are met with the full weight of the law.