Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Kano State Government has ordered the immediate arrest of a trader accused of selling government‑issued child nutrition supplies that were meant to be distributed free of charge to vulnerable families. The directive came from the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, following a routine inspection he led on Sunday, May 3, 2026, across health commodity distribution points in the state. During the inspection, officials discovered that a significant quantity of Ready‑to‑Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) and other micronutrient supplements, which are provided at no cost by the government and international partners to treat severe acute malnutrition in children under five, had been diverted from the public health system and were being sold by a private trader for profit. The commissioner, visibly angered by the discovery, ordered security agencies to track down and arrest the suspect immediately. “These supplies are meant to save the lives of starving children, not to line the pockets of dishonest traders,” Yusuf was quoted as saying by a ministry spokesperson. “Anyone found diverting or selling these free commodities will face the full weight of the law.”
The routine inspection was part of the state government’s ongoing effort to strengthen oversight of health commodity supply chains and ensure that life‑saving interventions reach the intended beneficiaries. Kano State, Nigeria’s most populous state, has one of the highest burdens of child malnutrition in the country. According to UNICEF and the Nigerian federal ministry of health, an estimated one in every three children under five in Kano suffers from stunting, and the prevalence of severe acute malnutrition has remained stubbornly high despite billions of naira in donor and government funding. The RUTF that was diverted is a high‑energy peanut‑based paste that is clinically proven to reverse severe malnutrition in a matter of weeks. It is typically supplied through government health facilities and community health workers, who are trained to identify malnourished children and dispense the product free of charge. The discovery that a private trader had gotten hold of and was selling this product has raised serious questions about corruption and weak oversight within the distribution chain.
Dr. Yusuf did not publicly identify the trader by name, but he confirmed that the suspect was operating from a shop in one of Kano’s busy markets, selling the RUTF sachets at prices ranging from 500 to 1,000 naira each. According to health officials who participated in the inspection, the trader claimed to have obtained the supplies from a health worker at a primary health centre in a rural local government area. The health worker, who has since been suspended pending investigation, allegedly received the supplies on behalf of his facility but instead passed them to the trader for a fee. “This is not just theft. It is a direct assault on the health and future of our children,” Yusuf said. He added that the state government would not stop at arresting the trader but would go after every person involved in the diversion, including health workers, warehouse staff, and any government officials who looked the other way.
The Kano State Primary Health Care Management Board has been directed to conduct a full audit of RUTF stock records for all 484 primary health centres in the state. Preliminary findings suggest that the diversion may be widespread. A source within the board told reporters that discrepancies between commodities received and those actually distributed to patients had been noted in at least 15 local government areas over the past six months. However, this is the first time a direct link to a commercial seller has been established. The state government has also invited the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to assist with the investigation, given the scale of potential public funds lost. The RUTF supplies in question were procured with a combination of federal government allocations and grants from international donors, including UNICEF and the World Food Programme. Officials estimate that the value of the diverted stock found in the trader’s possession alone exceeded 2.5 million naira.
The Kano State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association has issued a statement commending the commissioner for the swift action, while calling for a more systemic solution to prevent future occurrences. “Malnutrition is already a silent emergency in Kano. Every sachet of RUTF that is stolen or sold represents a child who may not survive. We urge the government to digitalize the supply chain with barcodes and real‑time tracking,” said Dr. Mustapha Garba, the NMA chairman in the state. Meanwhile, civil society organisations focused on child health have expressed outrage. Aisha Bello, the coordinator of the Kano Civil Society Forum on Nutrition, said she had received reports from rural communities where health workers demanded bribes before providing RUTF. “This is an open secret. Poor mothers are being forced to pay for what should be free. The commissioner’s arrest order is a good start, but we need prosecutions and prison sentences to serve as deterrents,” she said.
The trader, whose arrest is pending, has reportedly gone into hiding, but police sources say his shop has been sealed and his known associates are being questioned. The Kano State Police Command has confirmed that a manhunt is underway and that the suspect will be charged with criminal diversion of public goods, fraud, and possibly culpable homicide if any child’s death can be traced to the missing supplies. The state commissioner for health has also directed all local government health secretaries to conduct emergency sensitisation sessions for health workers reaffirming that the sale of free nutrition commodities is a criminal offence. “We will not let the greed of a few destroy the health of our children,” Dr. Yusuf said. For countless mothers in Kano who have struggled to feed their malnourished babies, the hope is that the commissioner’s anger will translate into lasting change.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments