Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, has expressed outrage over the distribution of rotten and expired food items to residents displaced by recent flooding, vowing to identify and punish all officials or suppliers involved.
On Sunday, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Iliya James, said the governor’s anger was sparked by a viral video showing displaced families holding sacks of pasta and rice emitting foul odours and bearing long-expired dates.
The incident comes just days after the state government distributed relief materials — including food items — to survivors of the flood, which claimed 25 lives and destroyed property worth millions of naira.
Many internally displaced persons (IDPs) had initially expressed gratitude for the intervention before the revelations emerged.
“This is quite strange because when the food distribution started, I was there personally, I participated in the supervision — I saw very healthy and good food,” James said, expressing disbelief.
“What has happened is shameful and unacceptable. The governor will ensure that no one who played a role in this escapes punishment,” he said.
Investigations are now zeroing in on the Ministry of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Reintegration and Humanitarian Services, as well as the Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA).
The scandal erupted on August 9, 2025, when victims revealed that some relief supplies had expired months — even years — before being handed out.
Health experts warn the tainted food could cause mass food poisoning, severe stomach infections, and other deadly complications.
Humanitarian workers and rights advocates have [quote]condemned the act as “criminal negligence” and “an insult to victims’ dignity,” calling for the prosecution of every official or contractor implicated.
Civil society groups say the fiasco exposes a dangerous rot in Adamawa’s relief supply chain and are pushing for sweeping reforms, including rigorous inspection protocols, transparent procurement processes, and hotlines for aid recipients to report unsafe items.
For victims, the outrage is raw.
“We lost everything to the flood,” one resident said bitterly. “Now they want to kill us with poison in the name of help.”
