The Borno State Police Command has arrested five people for allegedly diverting thousands of sachets of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) intended for malnourished children.
Police spokesperson, ASP Nahum Daso, said in a statement on Saturday that operatives of the Rapid Response Squad’s Anti-Social Vices Unit intercepted a total of 7,871 pieces of the food supplements, popularly known as Tamuwa, in two separate operations.
Mr Daso explained that two suspects were arrested on 12 April after police operatives stopped a Sharon Galaxy vehicle at Njimtilo, Maiduguri, with 3,314 sachets of RUTF. Another operation on 9 June at Legacy Estate in Maiduguri led to the seizure of 4,557 sachets from a Volkswagen Golf car, with three suspects arrested.
“All five suspects have been charged in court while the recovered food items were handed over to the Borno State Government through the Commissioner of Health, Prof. Baba Mallam Gana, for proper distribution,” Mr Daso said.
The police warned that attempts to hoard or divert humanitarian supplies would be treated as criminal offences. “We call on members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report any suspicious activities to the Police,” Mr Daso added.
The case underscores long-standing concerns about the misappropriation of relief items in Borno, which hosts Nigeria’s largest population of malnourished children due to years of conflict and displacement.
In 2017, a Federal High Court in Maiduguri jailed two local government officials for conspiring to divert 180 bags of rice meant for displaced persons.
Police authorities said the recent arrests reaffirm the command’s commitment to ensuring that lifesaving supplies reach vulnerable children and families across the state.
