Only 2 Died In Kano Prison Cholera Outbreak, Says NCoS

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has disputed an earlier six-death alarm raised by Amnesty International over a suspected cholera outbreak at the Kurmawa Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kano State, confirming instead that two inmates died from the outbreak.

The service, in a statement issued by its public relations officer, Chief Superintendent Jane Osuji yesterday, said the outbreak had been contained and no further mortality had been recorded since the diagnosis.
According to the NCoS, one of the two victims died at the custodial centre while the other died at the Kano State Infectious Diseases Hospital.

The service said the outbreak was first detected on September 17 when an inmate presented with vomiting and diarrhoea and was immediately admitted and treated at the centre’s medical facility.

She said by the following morning, the medical team had activated emergency medical protocols and intensified treatment, monitoring and other interventions.

The NCoS said laboratory investigations conducted by its medical team in collaboration with Kano State public health authorities subsequently confirmed the outbreak on September 23.

LEADERSHIP Sunday reports that the disclosure came days after Amnesty International raised the alarm over what it described as a suspected cholera outbreak at the facility, alleging that at least six inmates had died within one week.

Amnesty had called on the Nigerian authorities to immediately declare an emergency at the facility and urgently transfer critically ill inmates to hospitals, warning that the death toll could rise if urgent action was not taken.

But in its latest statement, the NCoS gave a lower confirmed casualty figure, saying the outbreak had been brought under control following coordinated medical interventions.

The service further stated that its Controller-general, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, who was immediately briefed, directed that every necessary measure be sustained to protect the lives, health and welfare of inmates and personnel.

The controller-general according to the statement also expressed condolences over the deaths and directed a team of senior medical personnel from the service’s national headquarters to proceed to the facility for sustained monitoring.

Meanwhile, the NCoS has said it had commenced additional preventive measures in collaboration with the Kano State government to prevent future occurrences.

It assured the public that healthcare services remain available across custodial facilities through qualified medical personnel, while disease surveillance, early detection and prompt medical response are being strengthened in collaboration with relevant public health authorities.

The service further reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that persons in custody are treated humanely and that their health, dignity and welfare are protected in accordance with the Nigerian Correctional Service Act, 2019, and established correctional standards.

It urged members of the public to rely on verified information from official channels as monitoring of the situation continues.