Some communities in Kebbi State have expressed fear over the rising loss of lives due to outbreak of diarrhoea.

The Vice Chairman of Birnin Kebbi Local Government Council, Alhaji Usman Ibrahim, said three people died at Kardi village while N350,000 was spent on the purchase of drugs.

Ibrahim could not however confirm the death of about 20 people in rural communities in the area sequel to vomiting and stoolling.

Reliable sources told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Birnin Kebbi that the disease had claimed many rural dwellers at Tungar Buzu, Korama, Samanaji and Keri communities in Shanga, Birnin Kebbi, Fakai and Koko/Besse local government areas, respectively.

NAN recalls that a 14-year-old girl, Maryam Umar, died of excessive stooling and vomiting on Monday at Tungar Buzu, a neighbouring community to Kardi, where three people were confirmed to have died of diarrhoea recently.

A resident of Tungar Buzu, Malam Abdullahi Usman, disclosed that there was panic among locals as the disease continued to spread across rural communities.

While expressing his fear over the spread of the disease, Usman said: “That 14-year-old girl only came here to visit her relatives for the Sallah celebration.”

A resident of Korama community in Fakai Local Government Area also told condition of anonymity that “stooling and vomiting had been killing people in our community for nearly a month now”.

He claimed that the disease had killed more than 10 adults and about 40 children, stressing that government is aware of it and had sent a team of officials and medical supplies to the community to curb the spread of the disease, but it had escalated.

“I think combating the spread of the disease and preventing further loss of lives required more medical supplies and stronger team of medical experts to this area,” the source said.