ABUJA, Aug 28 (Reuters) — A cholera outbreak in Bukkuyum district of Zamfara State has killed at least eight people and infected more than 200 across 11 rural communities, residents and local officials said Thursday.
The outbreak has been worsened by limited healthcare access and insecurity in the area. Cholera, a waterborne disease, is common in Nigeria, where many rural and urban communities lack access to safe drinking water.
Villages including Nasarawa-Burkullu, Gurusu, and Adabka have been hit hard, with many patients forced to receive treatment at home due to a shortage of health facilities.
“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.
Another resident, Ya’u Umar, said 53 people in his community had fallen ill. “We don’t have medicine or drips. Bandits prevent us from going to the city,” he told Reuters.
Zamfara, long plagued by violent armed gangs known locally as bandits, has seen rising insecurity that makes both travel and farming dangerous. The groups frequently abduct villagers and demand ransoms, further complicating humanitarian access.
Federal lawmaker Sulaiman Abubakar Gumi urged swift intervention from state authorities and international aid agencies. “Any delay will cost more lives, especially among women and children,” he warned, calling for the immediate deployment of emergency response teams and cholera treatment centres.
Zamfara health officials had not yet released an official statement on the outbreak.
