The Western Regional office of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) is grappling with a troubling situation after large quantities of relief supplies mysteriously vanished from its warehouse in what appears to be an inside job.
Essential items including sacks of rice, cooking oil, soap, and plastic containers intended for flood-affected communities were discovered missing during a routine inspection by the newly appointed regional director, Daniel Darlington Atisio.
Shocked by the discovery, he noted the stock had been plundered in two separate incidents: one just before Christmas 2024, and another in April 2025.
“I am reliably briefed that in December 2024 prior to Christmas, the office realized that some relief items, notably sacks of rice and gallons of vegetable oil got stolen from the warehouses… In the month of April, similar theft issues happened in the warehouse and in all instances there wasn’t a force entry,” Mr. Atisio disclosed.
His comments suggest someone with authorised access may have orchestrated the theft. “It is clear this wasn’t the work of an outsider. Whoever took the items had keys to the warehouse. This is an inside job, and I am not going to take it lightly,” he added.
With the aid of police, NADMO has launched an internal probe, and Mr. Atisio is pushing for a forensic audit to uncover the full extent of the scheme. He revealed that caution statements from key officials including the former regional director, an accountant, and a storekeeper had already been recorded.
“I will be meeting the CID handling the case to ensure investigations are expedited. I understand the caution statements of the former Regional Director, the accountant, and the storekeeper have already been taken and am going to ensure that the culprits are out before court and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent for other staff who also have such intentions,” he said.
With most food stock depleted, NADMO’s regional response capability has been severely compromised. As the rainy season threatens to trigger emergencies across the region, the director assured that immediate steps would be taken to restore essential supplies while investigations continue.
