Toyyibat Qasim
Two inmates have died following a confirmed cholera outbreak at the Kurmawa Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kano State, the Nigerian Correctional Service has disclosed.
The NCoS said the outbreak, which was first detected on September 17, was confirmed through laboratory tests conducted on September 23 by its medical team in collaboration with public health authorities in Kano State.
According to a statement issued on Saturday by the Service’s spokesman, Chief Superintendent of Corrections, JN Osuji, the incident began after an inmate developed symptoms including vomiting and diarrhoea.
The inmate was subsequently admitted and treated at the custodial centre’s medical facility, while emergency health protocols were activated as medical personnel intensified surveillance and treatment.
Osuji said two inmates eventually died from the outbreak.
While one of the deaths occurred at the custodial centre, the second was recorded at the Kano State Infectious Diseases Hospital, where the inmate had been receiving treatment.
“The Service regrets that the outbreak claimed two lives; one at the facility and the other at the Kano State Infectious Diseases Hospital,” the statement said.
The development has prompted the NCoS to intensify disease-control measures at the facility in conjunction with the Kano State Government.
The Service said the coordinated response had brought the outbreak under control, stressing that no additional death had been recorded since the cholera diagnosis.
The Controller-General of Corrections, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, commiserated with the families of the deceased and directed that measures aimed at protecting inmates and correctional personnel should be sustained.
Nwakuche also ordered a team of senior medical personnel from the NCoS National Headquarters to proceed to the facility for continued monitoring of the situation.
The Service said additional preventive measures had been introduced to minimise the possibility of another outbreak, while disease surveillance, early detection and prompt medical intervention were being strengthened across custodial facilities.
The NCoS further assured that healthcare services remained available to inmates through qualified medical personnel.
It urged members of the public to rely on verified information from official channels regarding the outbreak.
The latest development highlights the vulnerability of people in custodial settings during outbreaks of communicable diseases, where close living conditions can heighten the risk of transmission and make rapid detection and response critical.
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