Bauchi State residents are alleging huge deaths from a ‘strange ailment’ in Azare, headquarters of Katagum Local Government Area of the state. About 301 people are feared lifeless in the closing two weeks in the area, in accordance to residents.

Some suspect the high-quality ailment to be COVID-19 The State Government on Saturday alleged exaggeration of the matter. Deputy Governor Baba Tela informed newshounds that the scenario in the Azare used to be as soon as being blown out of proportion by means of using these who don’t live in the state. A former member of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Ibrahim Baba, in a May 8, 2020 letter to President Muhammadu Buhari spoke of a “massive outbreak of coronavirus” in Azare. He said the metropolis recorded over a hundred COVID-19 deaths in one week alone, sparking panic amongst residents. He said: “Sir, I write to draw your range hobby to the massive outbreak of coronavirus in Azare town and environs in Bauchi State, which has already resulted in over one hundred in the final one week, and this has thrown the entire location into amazing mourning, panic and confusion,” he wrote. “The centrality and proximity of Azare to Bauchi, Kano and some vital cities of Jigawa State make the town’s large populace inclined to the virus due to the already existing large cases of the health problem in those areas. “And because media coverage is always mostly skewed toward states capital and other extra awesome cities, the ongoing horrific situation in Azare has no longer gotten the pastime it deserves, and that’s why I desire to use this privilege to enchantment to you for pressing action to arrest the unpalatable situations. “Consequently therefore, I want to enchantment to your Excellency to direct the National Centre for Diseases Control (NCDC) and the presidential Task strain on COVID-19 to urgently reach out to Azare town with all the integral amenities and palliatives to help the communities there.” He additionally appealed to the president to allow a facility the Central Bank of Nigeria constructed at a Federal Medical Centre in the city to be used for the remedy of COVID-19 patients. “And to aid in this predicted effort, can also I draw your interest to the reality that at the Ophthalmology unit and laboratory have already been developed and geared up by using potential of the Central Bank of Nigeria at the Azare Federal Medical Centre Since 2013 but have now no longer been commissioned and put to use up until now,” he said. “This facility can be repurposed to a COVID-19 take a appear at and treatment core provided the suited tools are added, along with ventilators. “As a depend of lifestyles death, I have the utmost have self assurance in your feel of patriotism and dedication to the well-being of Nigerians that you will help the beleaguered people of Azare town and environs to overcome this harrowing situation. And whilst I appear ahead to your variety response, please, get hold of the assurance of my excessive esteem and loyalty.” In a same letter to Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, the Deputy Public Relations Officer (P.R.O) of the State Asset and Recovery Committee, Musa Azare claimed that 301 sparkling graves had been dug at the Azare cemetery in the “last 14 days.” Azare who posted the letter on his Facebook wall said: ‘’ Dear Kauran Bauchi, “Information achieving me from Azare says that as at the day long gone with the aid of there have been 301 glowing graves in the Azare cemetery, dug in the closing 14 days. I have tested this records from a couple of sources.’ ‘’Equally of serious difficulty is the way people escort their useless ones to the cemetery. No observance of any counter-measure towards the Covid-19 pandemic. There is want to intensify focus campaign. ‘’And to our people, you better wake up, and be given the fact of what the total world is going through. This deliberate lack of statistics and reckless skepticism will no longer do every physique any good. In fact, it is segment of the motives why we’re witnessing extra and greater deaths. And truly, it quantities to we killing ourselves!” An Azare resident, Muhammad Muktar, then again recommended The Nation the 310 said to have died have been “aged” people. Another resident, Salisu Azare said: “of course, what you heard is true. The determine might also additionally be even be more than that and most of them are inside the differ of 60 years and above. “But no one would inform you what killed them. I think solely scientific examinations need to show the disorder that killed them. But we are honestly scared.” Retired Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory and a native of Azare, Justice Muhammad Dahiru Saleh, died on Thursday at the age of eighty three When contacted his son, Ahmed Saleh , advised our Correspondent via a text message that his father truely died of partial stroke and no longer coronavirus as alleged on social media. He said: “His sugar degree rose, which led to partial stroke. That used to be the purpose and no longer Coronavirus as alleged.”Azare loss of life toll exaggerated; it has nothing to do with COVID-19, says government Reacting to the speculations yesterday, Deputy Governor Baba Tela, who doubles as Chairman of the Taskforce Response Committee on Lassa Fever and Coronavirus cited the scenario in the Azare used to be an exaggeration. He referred to no greater than six humans died per day in Azare in the remaining one week and their deaths had nothing to do with COVID-19. He said: “we have obtained so many reports alternatively I in my view interviewed undertakers who resource in burying corpses in the location and sure there have been a range of deaths but it’s seasonal which comes with immoderate temperature. ‘’As you see we are in the warm season now. This state of affairs is similar to that of Kano State where human beings with underlying scientific issues, most specifically the aged ones die. And you recognize Azare shares proximity with Kano State alternatively am very positive the deaths are exaggerated.” ‘’I have come at some stage in specific write-ups on social media on the incident then again the situation is not so as presented; the writers of this letter are from Bauchi however they are now no longer in the kingdom at the moment.’’ “I don’t understand the actual range of casualties, then again what I have gathered is that about six individuals die each and each day for a duration of seven days.” He cited the disease accountable for the deaths was once once but to be ascertained while that kingdom authorities used to be as soon as liaising with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF ) to retrain health humans in Azare on how to manage the situation. Sen. Baba Tela stated authorities would no longer hesitate to impose a complete lockdown in the affected LGA if the mum or dad of fatalities continued to rise. The Deputy Governor additionally tested that about seven clinical fitness personnel -five docs and two nurses -tested fantastic for coronavirus in Azare. The Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency (BASPHCDA), Dr. Rilwan Mohammed additionally debunked the alleged immoderate demise fee in Azare. “Where are the three hundred?” he asked. He said: “we be aware of many are loss of life in the vicinity then again we are yet to hyperlink it with COVID-19.We are but to get returned their sample which has been taken to the checking out centre in Jos, the Plateau kingdom capital. ‘’Besides, we don’t have mass graves dug like the ones in Kano and Jigawa States. “It’s no longer real that there are massive deaths in Azare. These are clearly rumours. I recognize there are deaths here and there but the determine human beings are giving is exaggerated.” Yobe probes rising cases of mysterious deaths Similar mysterious deaths have moreover been said in Yobe State which Health Commissioner Muhammed Gana stated government is nowadays investigating. Gana, who is additionally the Vice-Chairman, Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control, spoke in Damaturu, the nation capital, counseled the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the nation was once once no longer solely battling with Coronavirus but special diseases, mainly in the hot season when meningitis and measles strike. He noted the mortality rate ought to now not be without difficulty attributed to Coronavirus pandemic. He, however, referred to the state had already commenced investigation to confirm the genuine motive of the deaths, together with carrying out autopsies to set up the cause(s) of deaths. He said: “You cannot conclude to say that when each person died, the individual died as a result of the epidemic. No, you have to set up the actual purpose of the demise and the associated items. “This is why we have generally taken our time to seem at the causes before we expose our findings.” The commissioner cited that as shortly as the report of the investigations was once out, they would use these outcomes to stop similarly mortalities.