No fewer than 20 students of three boarding secondary schools and the Federal Government Girls’ College in Potiskum and Fika Local Government Areas of Yobe State have been confirmed dead following a suspected outbreak of meningitis in the state.

The Yobe State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mohammed Sani-Idris, disclosed this to journalists on Tuesday, February 27, 2024.

The commissioner added that many students were also hospitalised but have been discharged from hospital.

“20 students have been confirmed dead in the last few weeks from the suspected meningitis outbreak across some boarding secondary schools in Potiskum and Fika local government areas. Many have been hospitalised but now discharged,” Sani-Idris said.

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He disclosed that after the outbreak at the secondary schools, “I as Commissioner, my Permanent secretary and the Executive Secretary of the State’s Science Technical Board as well as the Chairman of the Teaching Service Board have relocated to Potiskum temporarily to ensure the disease does not escalate.”

Speaking during his visit to the affected schools, Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, said efforts were ongoing to tackle the outbreak of the disease in the state.

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Idi Barde-Gubana, said: “As part of the effort geared towards containing and effectively tackling the outbreak, the government has already provided the emergency treatment drugs as well as deployment of a rapid response team to all the affected areas.”

Also speaking at the Specialist Hospital in Potiskum, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Isa Bukar, disclosed that 214 cases were recorded and three are still in the intensive care unit of the hospital responding to treatment.

A similar outbreak killed many residents of Degubi community in Fika Local Government Area of Yobe State in April 2023.

The Star