By Stephen Adewale
Confusion and fear have gripped the people of Kano over the emerging reports that nearly 200 people have died of unknown ailment in the last five days.
The unprecedented rise in the number of dead people across the state has created apprehensions and concern over an outbreak of disease as three cemeteries have witnessed astronomic increase in the number of burials that have been carried out between Friday and Wednesday.
While some people initially described it as the increase in the number of Lassa fever cases in the state, other observers were quick to notice that the state never witnessed such number of deaths even at the peak of Lassa fever outbreak in Kano state.
Some analysts raised the fears that, considering the levity at which the Kano state government has treated the COVID-19 since the index case in Nigeria was recorded in Lagos on February 27, the recent upsurge in dead cases might not be unconnected to the pandemic that is already spreading like wildfire across the state.
The cases of increasing deaths in the state have worsened fear of some residents that cases of the virus in the densely populated state may be higher than what is being reported.
Confirming this to the KAFTAN Post, Saifullahi Umar, a resident of Goron Dutse said the number of dead cases that are being recorded daily in his Dala local government has created fears in the minds of the residents.
“It is true that people are dying mysteriously over here. In the Dala local government where I live, I cannot recall if the local government has ever recorded this huge number of deaths. Personally, I know 26 people who have died and buried between Saturday and Tuesday,” he told KAFTAN Post.
Saifullahi also said there is anxiety among the people that the deaths might be COVID-19 related.
He maintained that the frequency they receive the news of dead cases was unusual when compared with the number of people that died before the coronavirus outbreak.
Ever since Kano state announced its index case of the deadly coronavirus on April 11, the state has since seen a drastic surge in its numbers which is now 73 confirmed cases with one death.
However, while reacting to the development, Professor Isa Abubakar Sadiq, the Director of Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Kano said, so far, no research has been able to link the recent development to Coronavirus pandemic.
He explained that information at his disposal suggested that many of the deaths being recorded around the state in the last four days were aged people who, according to him, “might have struggled with severe age-induced ailment.”
This development comes at a time when Kano state recorded 73 coronavirus caseload, the third highest in the country.
Speaking further on the issue, Dr. Mustapha Hikima, the Chief Medical Director of Nassarawa Hospital, told the newsmen that the deaths are not related to the disease. He attributed some of the deaths to diabetes, hypertension, malaria and typhoid.
Hikima said given the huge population of the local government areas where the recent upsurge is being recorded, the number of deaths is insignificant.
“We don’t have the baseline information, but considering the high population size of Kano, the increase in the deaths is not significant,” he said.
“We should also take the time of the occurrence of the deaths into consideration. The time happens occasionally. So it is subjective to judge when a case happens within just three days. To me, this is not a serious problem because it happens sometimes. So I appeal to people to be calm.”
However, public health experts and medical scholars have described the nonchalant attitude of the Kano State government towards the COVID-19 as one of the biggest challenges confronting the state, calling on the state government to carry out thorough investigation on the real causes of these deaths and brief the public.
Usman Yusuf, a Professor of Haematology-Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, in his informed opinion titled: “COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A Monumental Disaster Unfolding in Kano,” raised the alarm that if urgent measures are not taken to address whatever is responsible for the recent spike in the number of deaths across the state, Kano many end up as the epicentre of Coronavirus pandemic in the continent.
“I have always believed that based on the epidemiology of the virus, the population dynamics, negative socioeconomic factors, the state of healthcare and infrastructure in the city, Kano alone will have more positive cases than the whole country put together. But, because we were not testing, we did not find. We are now seeing more cases because the test center in Kano started working just two weeks ago,” he said.
“Doctors in the Accident and Emergency Department (A&E) of the major teaching hospital in the city report that recently, almost 60% of all A&E visits are among adults with symptomatic respiratory infections with increasing fatality in those above 50 years of age.
“To worsen things, most of the hospitals in the state are currently only partially functioning due to fear and uncertainty among healthcare workers who know very well that the hospitals can not cope with sick Covid-19 patients that will soon be coming”.
The Professor continues, “Sadly, the Kano State’s Task Force on Covid-19 is in disarray since several of its key members went into quarantine after testing positive for the virus, this vacuum in leadership has resulted in the very slow response and testing by the State’s Rapid Response team resulting in increasing fatality particularly among the elderly.
“It is the socioeconomic consequences of this pandemic that scares me more than the virus itself. How well it is handled now will determine this outcome. Clearly, Kano city is in serious trouble and the political leadership is in dire need of help from the Federal government, it’s citizens and the whole nation”.
Another Kano resident, Fatimah Jimada, while speaking with KAFTAN Post expressed fear that the state may be having more caseload than it is officially recorded and blamed Umar Ganduje’s-led administration for what she described as “impending health crisis in Kano.”
“While the country has never faced a challenge like the ongoing pandemic, it is in Kano that the agony could be deepest and recovery slowest.
“Long before we registered any index case of this virus, Kano had the opportunity to take practical steps to address it. Even on March 2 when our Governor announced his government’s plan to upgrade Yargava Health Dedication Centre in a bid to prepare for a possible outbreak in the state, no concrete efforts was made to put the policy into practice.
“Many passengers, arriving Kano on a daily basis, refused to cooperate with the airport health officials stationed there to ensure that visitors are fully screened. But our state’s Commissioner of Health came out to announce that they were on top of the situation”.
Fatimah argued that these passengers who failed to follow screening guidelines went on to mix with people in their various communities. She said this has been a source of concern to many residents and even government officials who now fear that community spread of the virus may be taking place already.
It would be recalled that COVID-19 index case in Kano was a former ambassador who withheld critical information about his medical condition and travel history to the physicians who treated him in Kano.
The deceased, who also visited mosques and several medical outlets before his case was discovered, had flown into Kano from Lagos, having returned from the United States of America where he had undergone a surgery.
While government has promised to embark on contract tracing of those who may have been exposed through their contacts with the index case, it appears the upsurge in the numbers of infected patients and the need to trace the contacts of each of them has overwhelmed the state government.
it would be recalled that KAFTAN Post, in its earlier publication warned Kano Govt and Federal Government on silent spread of COVID-19 in Kano.
In the publication titled: “Underground “medical city” threatens to derail Kano COVID-19 fight, as infected rich patronise private clinics”, KAFTAN Post said:
“Lagos is the canary in the mines of Kano and a stitch in time is sure to save much more than ninety nine lives, KAFTAN Post could not but ruminate, upon stepping into the otherwise bursting and bustling city whose commerce is put on a bed rest, yet the stubborn resolve of the people, or lack of it, appears not to have allowed the need to stay indoors and be socially distant to dawn into the psyche of the people, as many are to be seen roaming about the vastness of the restless streets.
“If Kano, including the Government and the people, rich or poor, at Sabon Geri or Nassarawa, does not fight COVID-19 seriously along the line prescribed by who is who in the professional world of infectious diseases, including the global public health body, the World Health Organisation (WHO), then who will save the city?,” KAFTAN Post concluded.
Inundated with the reported mass deaths across the state, Muhammad Garba, Kano State’s Commissioner for Information, who acknowledged the reported strange death, told newsmen on Tuesday that government has swung into action to investigate the matter.
Although, Garba disagreed that the sudden rise in death in Kano is related to COVID-19 pandemic, he noted that Governor Ganduje has directed the Ministry of Health to investigate the incident.
Spike in deaths orchestrated by purveyors of fake news
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Kano State Governor Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje dismissed as false claims that the state is being ravaged by a mysterious disease that has led to mass deaths and burials in the state.
Ganduje said the disturbing news was orchestrated by the enemies of the state. While it has been confirmed by every media platform, health personnel and many residents of the state that there was indeed a disturbing spike in the number of deaths being recorded in the state, Ganduje said investigation carried out reported that only 13 people died.
The governor said, “There has been no unusual death in Kano State and I want to confirm that the reported deaths are not related to COVID-19. We have only one death arising from the pandemic so far.”
Ganduje promised to go after those he described as the purveyors of fake news in the state with a new executive act which he said would enable his government to arrest and prosecute those spreading fake news on COVID-19.
Speaking on how the state plan to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, Ganduje said “We are working closely with the Federal Government’s team and the NCDC is aware of the situation in Kano State and is moving fast to help out in the management of the pandemic.”
Despite the denial from the state Governor, however, KAFTAN Post authoritatively learnt that the toll from mysterious deaths continued to rise.
In the meantime, Dr. Olorunnibe Mamora, the Minister of State for Health has said the Federal Government would actively support Kano state to fight the virus.
Mamora, who explained that the population density of Kano could be compared to Lagos, which is the epicenter of the virus in Nigeria, expressed worry about coronavirus cases in Kano.
“Part of what we will do is to increase the support for Kano. Kano and Lagos have the highest population and, naturally, we would be worried,” he said.
The Minister continued, “We are closely monitoring Kano, Osun, Oyo and Edo states. We not with particular concern, Kano State and have engaged closely with the state government. We are increasing the number of tests as we ramp up, we will need to do more of contact tracing.”
COVID-19 testing halted as Kano commences deportation of Almajiri
In a bid to curb the spread of the deadly virus, Kano State government says it has rolled a plan that would ensure that the Almajiri children are returned to their various state of origin.
While 419 Almajiri were taken back to Katsina State on Tuesday, 524 were returned to Kigawa State on Wednesday. Government has said others will be pushed out of Kano in subsequent days.
Addressing newsmen in Kano on Wednesday. Malam Muhammad Sanusi-Kiru, the state’s Commissioner for Education said that the evacuation of the children was to ensure total compliance with social distancing order of the state government to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
“The initiative was in good faith, aimed at combating coronavirus and to fast-track integration of Almajiri children into formal school system.
“We evacuated 419 Almajiri children to Katsina State on Tuesday and we are making arrangement to evacuate 195 to Kaduna State by Thursday.
“As I am talking to you now, we are heading to Jigawa in convoy with adequate security, together with the children to hand them over to the state government.
“Before the evacuation, we provided personnel that checked the health of those children to ensure that they are all in healthy condition before we hand them over to their respective states of origin.
“Where these children were living before the evacuation was worrisome, because there were no adequate conveniences, shelter and other hygienic facilities.
“At some of the Tsangaya schools, you will find out that over 3,000 Almajiri children live in a small apartment without proper care, hygiene and other necessary needs,” he said.
According to Sanusi-Kiru, no serious government can tolerate such arrangement.
“That was why Governor Abdullahi Ganduje directed the ministry to come up with a new reform in form of evaluating them to their states of origin,” he said.
However, this move has been met with criticisms from all quarters as some believe this will increase the spread of Coronavirus in communities.
One of the critics of this move, Shehu Sani, former senator representing Kaduna State, is of the opinion that the deported Almajiris may return as bandits and insurgents.
Reacting, Sani, in a post on his Twitter page warned that the deportation of Almajiris to their villages will increase insecurity in the future.
According to him, the Almajiris without education will return as bandits and insurgents.
Sani wrote: “When you arrest the dirty and beggarly Almajiri from your Beautiful Cities and ‘deport’ him to his village, away from your tourists, your visitors, your leisure and your sights, you are only hiding your dirty undies instead of cleaning them.
“The Almajiri you choose to deport to the villages and refuse to educate and integrate will return to you as Bandits or Insurgents.”
Meanwhile, testing for coronavirus was on Wednesday suspended in Kano State following shortage of testing kits.
Professor Sadiq Isah explained to newsmen that the testing had to be suspended in Kano and explained that henceforth, every suspected case would be taken to Abuja for testing.
Professor Isah, while acknowledging the fact that lack of the testing kit was a great setback in the fight against the spread of the disease in the state, promised that the testing would resume in Kano as soon as all the required materials are made available at the centre.
World Health Organisation has warned that testing capacity is a major step in fighting the spread of coronavirus.
While expressing fear over the suspension of testing on Wednesday, Governor Ganduje said the closure of the testing centre could increase community spread of the virus and expressed the hope that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control would be quick to help fix and restart the centre given the huge population in Kano State.
Finally, the likely impacts of coronavirus on Kano State is keeping a lot of people awake at night – both within the state and plenty outside of it too. On the surface, prospects for the likely impact of COVID-19 on Kano State are grim, given the weak state of health systems in the state and large populations of poor people.
So far, the causes of deaths in Kano are speculative as no autopsies are being conducted. Even though the Islamic practice is to bury corpses rapidly, the standard practice in suspicious deaths, even in Islamic societies is to do rapid autopsies by government pathologists to stave any mysterious death lurking in the corner from wiping numerous lives.
Unfortunately, Kano State government has failed to carry out an autopsy on any of the dead.
And at a time when Lagos State is beginning to open more testing centres, the news that the sole testing centre in the densely populated Kano has been shut down does not inspire confidence. While Kano State has not seen as many coronavirus cases as Lagos and FCT, the number of tests being carried out, and the present extent of the infection among Kano populations is unknown.
