In Kebbi State, at least five university students have lost their lives to a yet-to-be-identified virulent disease.
The deceased are students of Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero, KSUSTA.
According to Channels Television, four students mysteriously died last week, while another passed away on Sunday after falling ill overnight.
The institution has not released an official statement on the matter.
According to a source familiar with the matter, officials from the World Health Organization, WHO, were at the university last week for an awareness campaign on the dangers of meningitis.
However, the officials did not confirm whether meningitis was responsible for the deaths of the two students who had died before their visit.
The university’s registrar, Maimaru Alhaji Tilli, confirmed the deaths of four students according to the institution’s records.
“Yes, four students have died according to our records, but we do not yet know the cause. The Ministry of Health has cautioned us and advised that there is a need to decongest students’ accommodation,” he stated.
Tilli added that he had formally written to the Commissioner for Higher Education, Isah Abubakar Tunga, for help on measures to forestall further fatalities.
A student leader also confirmed the deaths and revealed that the Students’ Union Government had written to the university management, urging them to shut down the institution to prevent more casualties.
Credit: withinNigeria
