By Ejembi Ogwuche

Eleven persons have been confirmed dead with six others in critical condition following a cholera outbreak in Apaogbozu community of Apa, in Ado Local Government Area of Benue State.

This was disclosed to newsmen in Makurdi by the immediate past secretary to the Ado Local Government Council, Dr Perpetual Okafor, who hails from the area.

According to her, the outbreak was reported about four days ago.

Okafor said the cholera pandemic has killed eleven persons and has left about six people in critical condition.

“The first day that the cholera outbreak occurred, three deaths were recorded. Yesterday, about four persons also died and today, this evening, we have lost four persons again.

“As I speak with you, six others who went for church service since yesterday were caught in the web.

“They are right inside the church; nobody is there to help us remove them. I had wanted to enter the church but I couldn’t. It was an emergency situation. Our people are dying seriously.

“We wanted to hire private medical personnel to assist us in treating the remaining affected victims who are in critical condition, but we couldn’t because the resources is not there. We have nobody to assist our people.

“Lives have been lost and many are down. Whosoever knows the agency that can come to our rescue should help us please. It is an emergency situation.

“I am calling on the Benue State government and other public spirited individuals to come to our aid so our people will not be completely wiped away by this dreaded disease.

“The situation is far above our community”, Okafor lamented.

Meanwhile, the Benue State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Yanmar Ortese, confirmed the situation but failed to give the number of casualties recorded so far.

However, he said information available to him indicates that there is only one suspected case of cholera in the area, adding that staff of the Ministry are already working on it.

“The Deputy Speaker, Benue State House of Assembly drew my attention to it today at about noon of a cholera outbreak in one Apaogbozu community.

“I called the emergency operation center under my Ministry to verify if the claim is true and they told me there is one suspected case.

“From what they said, the person is having diarrhea and is also vomiting. They will move quickly and take samples to see if it’s actually cholera or not.

“That is the information for now. We already have our public health staff who are everywhere in all the local governments and they are doing the surveillance. So it’s only a suspect from the area and our staff are working on it.

“They will take samples to see if it’s actually cholera or not. That is the information for now,” the commissioner said.