By Afolabi Mustapha
At least six detainees have tragically lost their lives within a single week following a suspected cholera outbreak at the Kurmawa Maximum Prison in Kano State.
Human rights advocacy group Amnesty International raised the alarm in a recent statement on its official Facebook page.
The organisation urged government authorities to immediately declare a state of emergency at the affected correctional center.
Multiple other inmates are currently undergoing treatment as the suspected disease continues its rapid spread through the facility.
Amnesty warned that the actual fatality count could be significantly higher if urgent preventive measures are not implemented.
The rights group demanded the immediate transfer of critically ill prisoners to standard hospitals for life-saving medical care.
It warned that negligence in this situation constitutes an arbitrary deprivation of life, which severely violates international human rights laws.
Furthermore, Amnesty highlighted systemic failures within Nigerian correctional facilities, emphasizing the prolonged detention of individuals awaiting trial.
The organization noted that impoverished detainees face severe obstacles in securing justice, with many lingering in custody for years without conviction.
It concluded by demanding comprehensive prison reforms to address severe overcrowding, unsanitary living conditions, and inadequate healthcare provision.
