No fewer than six inmates have died within one week following a suspected cholera outbreak at Kurmawa Maximum Prison in Kano State.
Amnesty International raised the alarm, calling on authorities to urgently declare an emergency at the facility and contain the outbreak.
In a statement on its official Facebook page, the organisation said several other inmates are currently receiving treatment, warning that the death toll could rise without urgent medical intervention.
It called for critically ill inmates to be immediately transferred to hospitals for adequate care.
Amnesty warned that failure to act could amount to arbitrary deprivation of life, which constitutes a serious human rights violation under international law.
The deaths have renewed concerns over conditions in Nigeria’s correctional facilities, particularly overcrowding, poor sanitation and inadequate healthcare.
The organisation expressed concern about awaiting-trial inmates, noting that detainees who cannot afford legal assistance often spend years in custody without conviction, amid overcrowded cells, inadequate food and limited healthcare.
It urged authorities to investigate the deaths, provide urgent medical care and prevent further spread of the disease.
Amnesty also called for broader reforms to improve sanitation, healthcare and protection of inmates’ rights in line with national and international standards.
