Kebbi State Governor, Dr. Nasir Idris, has called on residents to remain calm and take necessary precautions following a cerebrospinal meningitis outbreak that has claimed the lives of six students at the Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero.
The university’s Public Relations Officer, Mustapha Ango, confirmed the students’ deaths in a statement on Saturday. Expressing condolences, he said the Vice-Chancellor, Mr. B.G. Danshehu, was deeply saddened by the tragedy.
“Upon detecting the initial signs of the outbreak, KSUSTA took immediate and decisive action to mitigate the spread of the disease,” Ango stated.
He explained that a specialised committee, led by the Provost of the College of Health Sciences, Prof. Balarabe Isah, was set up to investigate the outbreak. The university also reported the situation to the Kebbi State Ministry of Health and the Ministry for Higher Education.
A stakeholders’ meeting was convened, bringing together health experts, including representatives from theWorld Health Organization (WHO), United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), and Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders).
“Despite the best efforts of the university and health authorities, six students have succumbed to the disease. We deeply regret these losses, and our thoughts and prayers are with the affected families,” Ango said.
Addressing concerns about why the school was not shut down, Ango stated that closing the university could cause unnecessary panic, especially among the many non-indigenous students.
“The school management decided not to close it because of the high population of non-indigenes among the students. Closing down the school may send a wrong signal to their parents and guardians,” he explained.
He reassured parents and the public that the university, in collaboration with the state government, had taken effective steps to contain the outbreak.
The Kebbi State Government has pledged to safeguard the health of students and staff.
The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Ahmed Idris, confirmed that Dr. Idris had directed the State Commissioner of Health to act swiftly.
“The governor has given directives to the Ministry of Health to tackle the issue of meningitis in the school. It is under control, there is no cause for alarm,” Idris assured.
Authorities have urged residents to remain vigilant and practice preventive measures to curb further spread of the disease.
