ZAMFARA, Nigeria (BN24) — A fast-spreading cholera outbreak in Zamfara state’s Bukkuyum district has killed at least eight people and sickened more than 200 others across 11 rural communities, local officials and residents said Thursday, as fragile healthcare access and insecurity deepen the crisis.
The disease, which is transmitted through contaminated water, has surged in the villages of Nasarawa-Burkullu, Gurusu, Adabka and other hard-hit areas. Community leaders said health facilities are overwhelmed, forcing many patients to be treated at home.
“We have over 21 patients presently admitted, although three died due to delays in reaching Nasarawa General Hospital,” said Muhammad Jibci, the village head of Gurusu.
In some communities, the outbreak has spread rapidly with little medical intervention. “We don’t have medicine or drips. Bandits prevent us from going to the city,” said Ya’u Umar, a resident who reported 53 infections in his village.
The outbreak comes as Zamfara continues to grapple with escalating bandit attacks, where armed gangs routinely abduct villagers for ransom and extort farming communities. Violence has made travel and farming increasingly dangerous, limiting access to hospitals and clean water supplies — conditions fueling the cholera crisis.
Sulaiman Abubakar Gumi, a federal lawmaker, urged the Zamfara government and international aid organizations to act swiftly. “Any delay will cost more lives, especially among women and children,” he said, calling for the rapid deployment of emergency response teams and cholera treatment centers.
State health authorities have not yet issued an official statement on the outbreak.
Cholera remains a recurring public health threat in Nigeria, particularly in rural regions and urban slums where shortages of clean water and sanitation infrastructure remain widespread.
Reuters
