The Borno State Police Command has arrested five suspects for unlawful possession of 7,871 sachets of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) intended for malnourished children.
Police spokesperson ASP Nahum Daso, in a statement issued on Saturday, said the suspects were arrested in separate operations conducted by the Rapid Response Squad’s Anti-Social Vices Unit under the leadership of Commissioner of Police Naziru Abdulmajid.
According to the statement, the first operation took place on April 12, 2025, when officers intercepted a Sharon Galaxy vehicle at Njimtilo, Maiduguri, carrying 3,314 pieces of the food supplement.
Two suspects were arrested.
In a similar raid on June 9, 2025, operatives intercepted a Volkswagen Golf car at Legacy Estate, Maiduguri, loaded with 4,557 sachets of the food. Three suspects were taken into custody.
“The five suspects have since been charged to court, while the recovered RUTF has been handed over to the Borno State Government through the Commissioner of Health, Prof. Baba Mallam Gana, for proper distribution,” Daso said.
He added that the police remain committed to safeguarding lives and property and ensuring that humanitarian supplies reach vulnerable populations for whom they are intended.
The police urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities promptly.
Borno has a history of relief material diversion. In 2017, a Federal High Court in Maiduguri jailed two local government officials for misappropriating 180 bags of rice meant for internally displaced persons.