‘We have no record of mysterious deaths’ — Kogi commissioner counters lawmaker

The kogi state government has denied claims of mysterious deaths in Olamaboro local government area.

Saka Haruna, the state commissioner for health, told TheCable on Wednesday that no one has died of unknown sickness.

Ujah Alewo, the lawmaker representing Olamaboro constituency at the state house of assembly, had raised the alarm over a strange illness “killing people” in the community.

At the house plenary session on Tuesday, the lawmaker had said at least 50 people have died in mysterious circumstances since September.

But in a phone interview with TheCable, Haruna said the reported deaths are false, adding that the relevant authorities has already visited the area.

“In our own side of the heavily disputed community, nobody in that community has exhibited any of those symptoms, or let me put it straight that no one has died from mysterious diseases,” he said.

“With the yellow fever deaths in Enugu state, our community is relatively spared. My team has been there, our rapid response team from Kogi state ministry of health has been there and they can confirm categorically that we don’t have history of mysterious death in that community.

Told that the community’s representative at the state assembly was the person who claimed people were dying unusually, Haruna accused the lawmaker of failing to consult with relevant authorities.

“Unfortunately, he didn’t discuss with me before taking it to the floor of kogi state house of assembly. But definitely I’ll reach out to them,” he said.

He insisted “no unusual deaths” in the community, adding that the state has also introduced measures to forestall such considering its proximity with the area the outbreak started in Enugu state.

“We have our informants, the focal persons, the traditional council, and all the health workers there — both private and government-owned — have been sensitized to send information across to us as soon as they encounter some unusual symptoms among the people or symptoms suggestive of hemorrhagic fever because yellow fever is one of the hemorrhagic diseases,” he said.