Fear and grief have gripped the Kurmawa Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kano after a cholera outbreak claimed the lives of two inmates, triggering an urgent medical response to prevent the disease from spreading further inside the facility.
The two inmates, after the outbreak inside the correctional facility, have been confirmed dead barely one week after the disease was discovered.
As gathered, different tests that were conducted by the medical personnel of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) and Kano State public health authorities proved the reasons for the inmates’ deaths.
Our correspondent learnt that the first warning signs emerged when an inmate suddenly developed vomiting and diarrhoea.
He was immediately admitted to the facility’s medical centre and treated, while emergency health protocols were activated the following morning as medical workers intensified surveillance and treatment.
But despite the intervention, the outbreak claimed two lives — one at the custodial centre and another at the Kano State Infectious Diseases Hospital.
The NCoS spokesman, Chief Superintendent of Corrections JN Osuji, confirmed the deaths in a statement issued on Saturday, saying the Service had moved swiftly to contain the outbreak.
According to the Service, its coordinated intervention has brought the outbreak under control, with no further deaths recorded since the diagnosis.
Additional preventive measures have also been introduced in collaboration with the Kano State Government to reduce the risk of further infections.
The Controller-General of Corrections, Ndidi Nwakuche, expressed condolences to the families of the deceased inmates and directed officials to sustain measures aimed at protecting both inmates and correctional personnel.
Concerned about continued surveillance, Nwakuche also directed a team of senior medical personnel from the Service’s National Headquarters to proceed to the facility for sustained monitoring of the situation.
According to him, the NCoS disease surveillance, early detection, and prompt medical intervention were being strengthened across custodial facilities as part of efforts to prevent further outbreaks.
The NCOS boss reassured the public that inmates continued to have access to healthcare through qualified medical personnel, while urging Nigerians to rely on verified information from official sources.