The Department of State Services (DSS) in Taraba State has reportedly arrested a warehouse owner and three other individuals over the diversion of humanitarian relief materials donated to the state by Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSRelief) for distribution to poor and vulnerable residents.
The arrests reportedly took place at a private warehouse in Sintali Ward, Jalingo Local Government Area of Taraba State, where a truckload of relief items, including rice, white beans and other essential supplies, had allegedly been offloaded.
Sources familiar with the incident told SaharaReporters that the materials were intended for distribution to vulnerable households and communities across the state as part of a humanitarian intervention by the Saudi-based organisation.
However, the items were taken to a private warehouse in circumstances that prompted the intervention of the DSS.
A video obtained by SaharaReporters shows utility vehicles believed to belong to the DSS, including Hilux vehicles, at the location as bags of relief materials were being loaded for removal.
Some of the bags visible in the video bear the inscription, “Not for Sale,” indicating that the materials were not intended for commercial sale.
Sources present at the warehouse told SaharaReporters that the Hilux vehicles belonged to the DSS and that the relief materials were being transported to the agency’s headquarters in Jalingo.
The sources said the DSS took action following the discovery of the materials at a private warehouse, after SaharaReporters reported allegations that the Taraba State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) boss diverted relief materials and used funds meant for humanitarian purposes to pay his daughter’s medical bills in Abuja.
The report was followed by the reported arrest of the warehouse owner and three other individuals.
Meanwhile, the reported incident comes months after the Taraba State Emergency Management Agency, in collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), officially flagged off the distribution of humanitarian relief materials donated by KSRelief to disaster victims and vulnerable communities across the state.
The flag-off ceremony was held in Jalingo on June 20, 2026, with the materials earmarked for victims of fire disasters, flooding and windstorms, as well as vulnerable households and communities across Taraba State.
The event brought together senior government officials, representatives of the Taraba State Government, security agencies, traditional institutions, representatives of local government chairmen, development partners and other stakeholders involved in humanitarian assistance and social protection.
The intervention was intended to provide support to residents affected by disasters and households facing hardship across the state.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Executive Secretary of TSEMA, Dr. Echuseh Audu, expressed appreciation to King Salman and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre for what she described as a generous humanitarian intervention.
Audu also commended Taraba State Governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas, for his commitment to the welfare of vulnerable citizens.
She assured stakeholders that the agency would maintain transparency, accountability and fairness throughout the distribution process to ensure that the relief materials reached their intended beneficiaries.
Audu said the agency would uphold the highest standards of transparency and accountability in the handling and distribution of the donated supplies.
On September 26, SaharaReporters reported that Audu, has come under scrutiny over financial transactions linked to a business associated with her, including payments totalling ₦44million to a Hospital in Abuja and transactions involving the Taraba State Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (LPRES) Drawdown Account.
The development comes amid continuing public interest in allegations concerning the diversion of relief materials, including rice and groundnut oil, meant for vulnerable residents of Taraba State.
Dr. Audu had previously voluntarily presented herself to security agencies after allegations surfaced on social media claiming that rice and groundnut oil meant for vulnerable Taraba residents had been diverted.
She denied the allegations and called for an investigation to establish the truth.
However, financial records obtained by SaharaReporters and reviewed alongside information show a series of transactions involving accounts associated with Dr. Audu and Katuka’s Kitchen, a registered business name that appears in the records.
According to a source, “She has resigned from the Katuka Kitchen on CAC but her BVN is still linked to the Katuka Kitchen. Meaning she has resigned on paper but refused to remove herself from the bank account.”
The records raise questions about the movement of millions of naira through accounts associated with the business and about payments made to Nizamiye Hospital in Abuja.
One of the transactions reflected in the documents reviewed shows that on October 28, 2025, the Taraba State LPRES Draw Down Account at Zenith Bank, with account number 1228758432, transferred ₦12,190,726.80 to Katuka’s Kitchen, with Zenith Bank account number 1224718656.
According to the same records, the exact amount of ₦12,190,726.80 was subsequently transferred back to the same LPRES Draw Down Account.