Cholera kills over 40, infects 3,000 across seven Borno LGAs

A cholera outbreak has killed more than 40 people and infected over 3,000 others across 139 communities in seven local government areas of Borno State, with treatment centres struggling to cope with the surge in cases.

A cholera outbreak has claimed more than 40 lives and infected over 3,000 people in 139 communities across seven local government areas of Borno State, according to government estimates. The affected areas include Maiduguri, Jere, Mafa, Konduga, Monguno, Ngala and Magumeri, with cases recorded between May 1 and May 28, 2026. While the Borno State Government announced on May 30 that 37 people had died and over 3,000 had been infected, residents and relatives of victims argued that the actual figures could be higher, claiming that several patients died at home without receiving medical attention.

The outbreak has placed enormous pressure on healthcare facilities, particularly in Maiduguri and Jere, which account for more than half of the reported cases. At the Brig.-Gen. Abba Kyari General Hospital in Ngaranam, treatment centres were reportedly overwhelmed, forcing some patients to receive care on bare floors. A health worker at the facility said, “We don’t have the actual number of patients, but on an average, from morning to this time (12:30) we received over 40 cases today. You can see how the facility is overstretched.” He added, “Nearly eight Borno LGAs have reported cholera cases, with the vast majority concentrated here in Maiduguri and Jere.” Relatives were seen holding intravenous drips for patients, while medical personnel carried out emergency procedures on severe cases.

Residents of affected communities blamed poor sanitation, contaminated water sources and reluctance to seek hospital treatment for worsening the outbreak. A resident of Shokari, Malam Abubakar Makah, who lost his mother to the disease, said, “She started vomiting, then came diarrhoea. Before we could do anything, she gave up. As I’m talking to you, a child has died while six of our neighbors are already infected.” A senior nurse, Modu Ngudo, expressed concern that some families were refusing to take infected relatives to treatment centres despite the risks. “There are areas where the community is fetching water from the reservoir (Mother Cat Dam), once the water is contaminated, the disease will continue spreading,” he said, adding that open defecation remains a major factor driving transmission in several communities.

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