Dozens of people mostly those advanced in age died in Hadejia Local Government Area of Jigawa State within four days, families of the deceased and witnesses said on Tuesday.
They died between May 1 and May 5.
The victims reportedly died of high fever, diabetes and high blood pressure, but health officials said these could only be underlying factors and asked authorities to extend the high profile investigation and intervention currently ongoing in neighbouring Kano State to Jigawa to stem the tide.
Daily Trust reports that Kano State had also recorded hundreds of deaths especially of the elderly in the last few days and after denials and counterclaims, officials at the state and federal government swung into action.
The presidential task force sent to Kano to unravel the mystery had said coronavirus could be one of the factors responsible for the high number of deaths.
As of Tuesday, May 5, Jigawa State had 39 confirmed COVID- 19 cases while Kano had 397.
Circles of deaths in Hadejia
Hadejia is about 177 kilometres from Kano and located in the eastern part of Jigawa State, sharing boundaries with Kirikasamma Local Government from the east, Mallam Madori Local Government from the north and Auyo Local Government from the west.
Our correspondent, who visited Hadejia on Tuesday, reports that the worst-hit areas by the deaths include Kasuwar Kofa, Matsoro, Kofar Fada, Gagulmari, Chadi, Bayi, Bakin Kasuwa, Dalla and Sabon Garu among others.
The correspondent, who was led to the old cemetery in Hadejia by one Muhammad Aminu of Dalla quarters, counted about 100 new graves, while at the new cemetery in the town, about 20 new graves were seen.
Another resident of Dalla quarters, Adamu Danwawu, who lost his relative, confirmed that he had attended the burial of 15 people who died in the area within a week.
Danwawu also confirmed the demise of five others who died in the area, whom he did not attend their burial.
“Most of the deceased were old people with terminal diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and or kidney complications,” he said.
“Most of them were males,” he added.
Malam Sabo Sani of Sabon-Garu quarters, confirmed the death of 15 persons in his community, whom he attended their burials.
He said the deceased comprised of 12 males and 3 females, saying all of them were aged persons.
Corroborating, Abdullahi Saleh of Gagulmari confirmed that most of the victims were aged between 60 and 80 years.
He said: “One of the women that lost her life recently was hale and hearty five days to her demise. The woman suddenly died on Monday.”
“Although we do witness increased deaths during every Ramadan fasting, it is unusual this year.
“The common thing that was found in virtually all the deceased was high fever but there was no sign of difficulties of breathing; there was no persistent cough or throat,” Saleh added.
Ibrahim Abdullahi, a resident of Kantin Waje quarters, told Daily Trust that although only three people died in the area he lives, he said: “the death rate in Hadejia is scary.”
According to him, “My friend confirmed to me that he had witnessed the burial of five dead bodies on Monday. Honestly, we do not suspect the disease to be coronavirus even though there is a similarity with the issue in Kano.”
13 people died in our facility – CMD
Speaking to Daily Trust, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Hadejia General Hospital, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Namadi, said the hospital recorded only 13 deaths from 1st to 5th May, 2020.
Dr. Namadi, however, said the deaths were not related to COVID-19, as according to him, most of the deceased were asthmatic, diabetic, and patients with high blood pressure for many years before their demise.
“Of course, most of them had a high fever when they came to the hospital but that does not mean they were infected by COVID-19.
“Four of them had an ulcer, others from cardiac arrest and some from other terminal diseases,” he said.
Daily Trust could not establish whether the deceased were tested for COVID-19 while alive and if samples were taken after they died.
Death not connected to COVID-19, Council chair says
Also speaking to Daily Trust, the Chairman of Hadejia Local Government, Alhaji Abdullahi Mai Kanti, debunked allegations that the deceased persons were killed by COVID-19.
Mai Kanti also put the number of people that died in the local government at 51, saying the deaths were recorded within four days- from May 2- 5, 2020.
He said: “According to our record, 4 people died in Rumfa ward; 2 in Atafi ward; 5 in Sabon Garu ward; 13 in Majema ward; 8 in Matsoro ward; 3 in Gagulmari ward; 5 in Kasuwar Kuda ward; 3 in Kasuwar Kofa ward and 5 in Yankoli ward.”
The chairman said contrary to reports, the recent increase in death rate in Hadejia had no connection whatsoever with COVID-19.
He said most of the deceased had been sick for more than 3 years.
“I can confidently confirm to you that it is not true that over 100 people died in Hadejia in just one day. Going by our record, even the 51 deaths were recorded within four days which is not unusual.”
We’re authenticating the claim
Dr. Mahmoud Abdulwahab, who is the chairman of the committee set up by the Jigawa State government to investigate the remote cause of the recent deaths in Hadejia local government, told Daily Trust that the committee was given only three days within which to complete its assignment and report back to the state government.
“Jigawa State government is worried about the situation in Hadejia, hence the inauguration of the 5-man committee to investigate the matter.
“We are in Hadejia to conduct verbal autopsy and find out the actual number of people that have died.
“The committee is also expected to uncover the causes for the recent increase in death rate in Hadejia; whether the deaths are related to COVID-19 or not.
“We will conduct the verbal autopsy today (Tuesday) and grave counting tomorrow (Wednesday).
“We are working closely with local government authorities and traditional rulers in order to ease our work. So far, we have not discovered anything that could link these deaths to COVID-19,” he said.
Test is the way forward
A medical practitioner, Dr. Sani Baba Ali, said Nigeria is at the brink and called for action.
“The best way to go is to test, test and test because we are not going anywhere with guesswork,” he said.
According to him, “The government must take full responsibility by doing an autopsy and above all contact tracing of all those who had anything with the deceased.
“This is the only way we can stop the community spread, which is the dangerous part of the transmission. We must also provide protection kits for health personnel,” he said.
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