Cholera outbreak reportedly kills 11, six others in critical condition in Benue

By David Odama

11 persons have been reportedly killed with six others in critical condition following an outbreak of the dease in Apaogbozu community in Apa council ward of Agila district in Ado Local Government Area of Benue State.

The immediate past Secretary to Ado LGA, Dr. Perpetual Okafor, who disclosed this via telephone in Makurdi, said the outbreak which started about four days ago, have claimed the lives 11 people while six others are in critical condition.

She said, “The first day that the outbreak occurred, three deaths were recorded then, yesterday, Sunday, September 29, 2024, about four persons also died and today this evening, we have lost four persons again.

“They are right inside the church, nobody is there to help us remove them. I had wanted to enter the church but I couldn’t. It was an emergency situation. Our people are dying seriously.

“We wanted to hire private medical personnel to assist us in treating the remaining affected victims who are in critical condition but we couldn’t because the resource is not there.

“Whosoever knows the agency that can come to our rescue should help us please. It is an emergency situation.

“I am calling on Benue State government and other public spirited individuals to come to our aid so that our people will not be completely wiped away by this dreaded disease. The situation is far above our community,” Okafor said.

When contacted, the Benue State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Yanmar Ortese said he was informed of an outbreak saying they informants failed to give the number of casualties.

The Commissioner claimed that from available records, only one suspected case from the area has been confirmed but remarked that staff of the ministry have been deployed to the area and are already on top of the situation

The Deputy Speaker, Benue State House of Assembly drew my attention to the outbreak today at about noon concerning the issue in Apaogbozu. I called the emergency operation center under my ministry to verify the claim and they told me that only one suspected case has been confirmed”

“From what they said, the person is having diarrhea and is also vomiting. They will move quickly and take sample to see if it’s actually cholera or not.That is the information for now. We already have our Public Health officers who are everywhere in all the LGs and they are doing the surveillance. So it’s only a suspected case from the area and our staff are working on it.”

“They will take sample to see if it’s actually cholera or not. That is the information for now.”, The Commissioner stated