Cholera Outbreak: NCoS Contains Disease at Kano Custodial Centre

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has contained a cholera outbreak at the Kurmawa Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kano State, with two deaths recorded.

The Service Public Relations Officer, CSC Jane Osuji, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday and made available to newsmen in Abuja.

Osuji said laboratory tests conducted on Sept. 23 by the NCoS medical team and state public health authorities confirmed the outbreak.

She said the incident was first detected on Sept. 17 after an inmate developed vomiting and diarrhoea and was immediately admitted to the facility’s medical unit for treatment.

“By the next morning, the medical team activated emergency medical protocols while intensifying medical intervention and monitoring,” she said.

According to her, coordinated medical interventions have brought the outbreak under control, with no additional deaths recorded since the diagnosis.

She, however, disclosed that two inmates died during the outbreak, with one death occurring at the custodial centre and the other at the state infectious diseases hospital.

Osuji said the Controller-General of Corrections, Sylvester Nwakuche, was immediately informed of the situation and directed that all necessary measures be maintained to safeguard the health and welfare of inmates and correctional personnel.

Nwakuche expressed condolences over the deaths and ordered additional preventive measures in collaboration with the Kano State Government.

He also directed the strengthening of disease surveillance, early detection and rapid medical response across custodial facilities in partnership with relevant public health authorities.

The Controller-General further ordered a team of senior medical personnel from the NCoS national headquarters to proceed to the facility for continued monitoring and support.

Nwakuche assured that healthcare services remained available across custodial centres through qualified medical personnel.

He reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to ensuring that persons in custody were treated humanely and that their health, dignity and welfare were protected in accordance with the Nigerian Correctional Service Act, 2019, and established correctional standards.

He also urged the public to rely on verified information from official channels as the Service continues to provide updates on the situation when necessary.