The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised serious concerns over the diversion and illegal sale of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) a life-saving nutritional product intended for over half a million malnourished children in Borno and Adamawa States.
Describing the situation as “out of hand,” UNICEF warned that the continued misappropriation of these essential supplies could lead to the avoidable deaths of vulnerable children.
Speaking during a one-day stakeholder engagement in Maiduguri, Joseph Senesie, Chief of the UNICEF Maiduguri Field Office, revealed that the diversion of RUTF is being perpetrated by a mix of workers, transporters, and traders.
“We’ve conducted investigations and discovered that these supplies are being sold in markets and even online,” Senesie stated. “This is a major concern for UNICEF. We’ve found cases where individuals were caught misusing or diverting the supplies, and we believe law enforcement must step in to ensure that these free commodities reach the children they are meant for.”
UNICEF is targeting more than 500,000 children across Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe States with nutritional support. Senesie emphasized the life-threatening impact of the diversions.
“For a child to die because the nutrition meant for them is stolen is deeply alarming,” he said. “This problem is massive. We’re dealing with a region already affected by insecurity, hunger, and displacement. If these essential products are sold instead of reaching the children who need them, not only will lives be lost, but donor confidence may be eroded, affecting future support.”
Senesie called for urgent action from all stakeholders, including government agencies, security forces, healthcare workers, transporters, and market traders.
“We want the government and law enforcement to act. Transporters must not move nutritional commodities without proper documentation. Traders should not sell them. Buyers must not buy them. Health workers must not divert them. Everyone has a role to play,” he urged.
He also appealed to the media to amplify advocacy efforts aimed at protecting children’s rights and combating the theft and resale of critical nutrition supplies.
Senesie called on security agencies to ensure that any confiscated supplies are returned promptly to the state government, so they can be redistributed and used before they expire, thereby saving lives.
