At least 34 residents of Sokoto State are receiving medical treatment at a specialist hospital following an outbreak of heavy metal poisoning.
The affected individuals, primarily farmers from Tureta Local Government Area, have been hospitalised for over a week.
The state government has assured residents that it is working to contain the outbreak, which has drawn the attention of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
Addressing journalists on Friday, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Faruk Wurno, confirmed that additional cases had been reported in multiple local government areas. Some patients, he said, are receiving palliative treatment at general hospitals.
“A high-level stakeholders’ meeting has been convened to develop effective case management and containment strategies. All principal health officers have been placed on high alert, and necessary medical supplies are being dispatched to affected areas.
“The exact source of the poisoning is still under investigation. While previous findings indicate contamination from heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, and cadmium, the NCDC and Africa CDC are conducting further research to identify the primary cause. Samples collected two weeks ago are currently being analysed.
“Under the governor’s directive, treatment and feeding for affected patients are ongoing. We are awaiting scientific confirmation of the cause before implementing preventive measures,” Wurno stated.
Concerns have been raised about possible links to illegal mining activities, but Wurno stressed that regulatory actions would be based on concrete evidence.
“We must rely on scientific findings rather than speculation,” he said.
