A deadly cholera outbreak has swept through 11 rural communities in Bukkuyum district, Zamfara state, northwest Nigeria, killing at least eight people and infecting more than 200, according to local officials and residents. The crisis is deepening as insecurity and lack of access to healthcare leave many patients untreated.

The worst-hit areas include Nasarawa-Burkullu, Gurusu, and Adabka, where villagers are forced to care for the sick at home due to the absence of functioning clinics. “We have over 21 patients admitted, and three died after delays reaching Nasarawa General Hospital,” said Muhammad Jibci, village head of Gurusu.

Another resident, Ya’u Umar, reported 53 cases in his village and described dire conditions: “We don’t have medicine or drips. Bandits prevent us from going to the city”.

Zamfara has long been the epicenter of banditry in Nigeria’s northwest, with armed groups routinely abducting villagers and extorting farming communities. The violence has severely disrupted travel, agriculture, and access to medical care, compounding the public health emergency.

Federal lawmaker Sulaiman Abubakar Gumi has called on the state government and international NGOs to deploy emergency response teams and establish cholera treatment centers. “Any delay will cost more lives, especially among women and children,” he warned.

As of Thursday, Zamfara’s health authorities had not issued an official statement on the outbreak, raising concerns about the speed and scale of the response.

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