Zamfara State has been hit by another cholera outbreak, leaving at least seven people dead and nearly 200 others hospitalized in Gumi and Bukkuyum Local Government Areas.
The outbreak, which began around August 10, 2025, is spreading quickly, raising fears that the death toll could rise as government response remains largely absent.
Sulaiman Abubakar Gumi, a member of the House of Representatives for Gumi/Bukkuyum constituency, described the situation as alarming.
He revealed that Bukkuyum alone has recorded 157 admissions, Unguwar Gamji in Gumi has 24 cases, while Birnin Waje has already lost seven people.
“This situation is worsening daily. In my constituency, people are dying silently while government support is nowhere to be found,” he lamented, adding that Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is the only organization providing meaningful assistance.
The outbreak has been linked to poor sanitation in displacement camps, where flooding has forced people to defecate in open drains, contaminating water sources and fueling the spread of the disease.
The News Chronicle learned that this is not the first time Zamfara has suffered such outbreaks. Cholera has become an annual tragedy during the rainy season, caused by unsafe water, poor sanitation, and the government’s failure to take preventive action.
Health experts warn that Zamfara’s crisis reflects a wider national problem. In 2021, Nigeria recorded more than 3,600 cholera deaths across 30 states.
In Zamfara, anger is mounting against Governor Dauda Lawal, with residents accusing him of ignoring the crisis.
“Every day, our children drink from muddy ponds, but the governor cannot provide even ordinary chlorine for water,” a villager in Bukkuyum said. Another resident in Gumi added, “We bury our loved ones every week, yet the governor lives like a king. They only come during campaigns with promises, now we are left to die.”
Local health workers say families are forced to draw contaminated water from flooded pits, while clinics run out of basic rehydration salts. MSF recently reported more than 1,500 suspected cholera cases in Zamfara between mid June and early August.
Dr. David Kizito, MSF’s Head of Mission in Nigeria, warned that flooding, insecurity, displacement, and lack of clean water have created the perfect conditions for recurring outbreaks.
