The former President of the National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN), Mr. Ojo Ajanaku, has been arrested by operatives from the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) of the Nigeria Police.
The arrest, effected on Monday morning, followed years of controversy surrounding 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 a prolonged crisis, violating its constitution and creating instability within the cashew industry.
Security and judicial officials confirmed that the charges against Mr. Ajanaku relate to actions deemed harmful to Nigeria’s agricultural and economic interests. He is also being accused of frustrating government policy directives, misrepresenting the state of the cashew sector, and allegedly engaging in practices that undermine confidence in one of Nigeria’s most important non-oil export sector.
