Human rights lawyer and public commentator, Barrister Audu Bulama Bukarti, has expressed deep concern over the reported deaths of 652 children in Katsina State within the past six months due to hunger and malnutrition, describing the situation as a national shame and a human tragedy.
In a video shared on social media, Bukarti said he was reacting to data attributed to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), which reportedly indicated that hundreds of children had died from severe hunger and malnutrition.
According to him, the children did not die because of war or bomb attacks but because they lacked access to sufficient food.
Bukarti also expressed concern that similar cases were being recorded in Zamfara, Sokoto and Borno states, while accusing government authorities of failing to respond adequately to the worsening situation.
He called on the federal, state and local governments to take urgent action to address hunger and malnutrition, stressing that the crisis should be treated as a humanitarian issue rather than a political one.
The lawyer acknowledged the reduction in funding from international donors but maintained that the government has the primary responsibility to protect vulnerable citizens and ensure that children have access to food.
Bukarti also extended his condolences to families who had lost children and urged political leaders to prioritise the welfare of vulnerable Nigerians.
He warned that failure to protect and provide for vulnerable citizens represents a serious failure of governance.
The reported figures have renewed calls for urgent intervention to tackle food insecurity and malnutrition in Katsina and other parts of Northern Nigeria.
