Cholera Outbreak: Plateau to deport Nasarawa refugees

11 lives lost from outbreak.

The Plateau State government has announced its plans to send displaced persons from Nasarawa State back to their home state.

The state said this was part of measures to reduce the population in Quan’pan Local Government Area, and contain the recent cholera outbreak.

The Commissioner for Information, Abraham Yiljap, disclosed this on Tuesday in Jos, during a media briefing. He also said that the outbreak had claimed 11 lives, with 136  people still infected.

Mr. Yiljap said that medical reports from the affected area indicated that the spread of the disease had intensified due to the high population density there. He added that the state was discussing with the Nasarwa government on how to convince the refugees to go home.

Quan’pan currently hosts over 7,000 internally Nasarawa refugees, who fled their homes due to communal clashes between Eggon and Alago.

Mr. Yiljap said that some of the refugees refused to return home based on fears that the clashes might reignite.

“Some of them have exercised fears of being attacked again, but we will keep discussing with the Nasarawa government, to ensure their safety when they return.”

Mr. Yiljap said the cholera outbreak was contained last week, with only four victims still on hospital admission.

He denied media reports which claimed that 30 people died from the outbreak.

He said government had set aside a huge sum of money to procure drugs and other palliatives to avert further outbreak.

“Steps have been taken to mitigate the spread of the disease and ensure that those on admission receive the appropriate medical attention,” he said.

He urged Plateau residents to live sanitary lives and avoid eating and drinking unclean foods and water.

According to him, the government would provide potable water in the entire state.

Most parts of Jos, including Bukuru, Jos South Local Government Area, have been without potable water for six months.