Fred Ezeh, Abuja

The Federal Government has debunked media reports of an epidemic outbreak at Queen’s College in Yaba, Lagos.

Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Sonny Echono, on Tuesday confirmed to Daily Sun that there was no cholera outbreak in the school contrary to media reports that claimed otherwise.

In a confirmatory message to Daily Sun in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary said, “there was no cholera outbreak but flu and malaria cases, which the Principal informed me have been brought under control. I am on my way to Lagos for on the spot assessment.”

Daily Sun reported on Monday that there had been panic at the school over a disease outbreak, which was claimed to have affected hundreds of students.

Related: Queen’s College dismisses reports of disease outbreak

A parent had told Daily Sun that the health crisis might not be unconnected to poor drinking facilities, contaminated foods and unhygienic toilets at the prestigious secondary school.

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A similar disease outbreak was recorded at the College in 2017, which had claimed the lives of three students.

The Parents Teacher Association (PTA) Chairman, John-Alfred Ofobike, told Daily Sun in Lagos that no fewer than 900 students had been withdrawn from the school on health grounds in the last two weeks since resumption.

He said that, though students were clearly infected, he could not categorically state the exact ailment they were suffering from.

He said he was at the school last Sunday and met many children sick and expressed fear of an epidemic outbreak due to the increasing number of students that were being returned home.

He said that between 700 and 900 students have so far been withdrawn by their parents, even though the Principal of the College, Tokunbo Yukubu-Oyinloye, countered the claim.

She said: “We don’t have any outbreak in our school. What is happening to the students was just normal flu because of the cold weather. Our doctor, Ojo, would have given you more details now but he is busy with some government officials.”