Human rights organisations are calling on Nigerian authorities to declare an immediate public health emergency at the 115-year-old Kurmawa Maximum Prison in Kano state following a suspected cholera outbreak.

According to Amnesty International, at least six inmates have died within a week, with several others receiving treatment as the disease spreads through the overcrowded facility. Rights monitors have accused authorities of failing to protect prisoners from preventable fatalities, pointing to severe overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, and inadequate medical care.

While local correctional officials claim the situation has been contained and confirmed two deaths, civil rights groups urge immediate transfers of critically ill inmates to external hospitals to prevent further loss of life.

–ChannelAfrica–