The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has confirmed that a recent cholera outbreak at the Kurmawa Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kano State has been contained.
The outbreak was confirmed through laboratory investigation on September 23, 2026, following collaboration between the NCoS medical team at the facility and Kano State public health authorities.
The Service Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Corrections JN Osuji, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday.
According to the statement, the Controller-General of Corrections, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, was immediately briefed on the development and directed that all necessary measures be sustained to protect the health and welfare of inmates and personnel.
The NCoS said the outbreak claimed two lives, with one death recorded at the custodial centre and another at the Kano State Infectious Diseases Hospital.
The Controller-General expressed condolences to the families of those who died.
The Service said the incident was first detected on September 17, when an inmate developed symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea and was immediately admitted and treated at the centre’s medical facility.
By the following morning, the medical team had activated emergency response protocols while intensifying treatment, monitoring and disease-control measures.
The NCoS said the coordinated interventions successfully brought the outbreak under control, adding that no further deaths had been recorded since the diagnosis.
It added that additional preventive measures had been introduced in collaboration with the Kano State Government to minimise the risk of future outbreaks.
The Service reassured the public that healthcare services remained available across custodial facilities through qualified medical personnel, while disease surveillance, early detection and prompt medical intervention were being strengthened in partnership with relevant public health authorities.
Nwakuche has also directed a team of senior medical personnel from the Service’s National Headquarters to proceed to the facility to monitor the situation and ensure that necessary measures remain in place.
The Controller-General reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to treating persons in custody humanely and protecting their health, dignity and welfare in line with the Nigerian Correctional Service Act, 2019, and established correctional standards.
The NCoS appreciated members of the public for their concern and urged them to rely on verified information from official channels as the Service continues to provide updates on the situation where necessary.
