A strange disease has killed at least 11 persons in Lagelu Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Residents of Lagelu LGA said the first case was recorded at Ariku village, where five people had, so far, been reported dead.
It was learned that the disease later spread to Lagun village where six persons were confirmed dead.
According to some reports, it was an outbreak of cholera as the symptoms closely compare with the deadly disease.
However, the state government said the claim could not be immediately established as the results of samples taken from the victims were still being awaited.
Kelani Abdullahi, the Caretaker Chairman of Lagelu Local Government Area, said the cause of the cases was being investigated.
Abdullahi said, “So far, 11 persons have lost their lives to the epidemic, with five persons hospitalized while four persons have been discharged.”
The Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr. Bashiru Bello, said, “The tests carried out on the affected persons are still premature and the samples collected have not confirmed the sickness to be cholera.”
Bello added that surveillance and health officers sent to the local government to take samples and assess the situation reported the poor unhygienic condition and the dirty environment in the area.
The lawmaker representing Lagelu State Constituency, Mr. Akintunde Olajide, also confirmed that a preliminary investigation was carried out.
Olajide said the investigation revealed that the sickness was largely due to a lack of access to clean and potable water.
The lawmaker added that he had ordered the immediate repair of three of the four boreholes in the communities, in order to give them access to hygienic water source.