Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan

Eleven persons have lost their lives in two communities in Lagelu Local Government Area of Oyo State, another five were said to have been hospitalised, while four have been discharged as a result of a strange illness suspected to be Cholera.

The two affected communities are Ariku and Lagun. As gathered, the first case of outbreak of the disease was reported at Ariku, where five persons were said to have been dispatched to their early grave so far, while another six persons were also said to have died due to the strange disease at Lagun village.

However, Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr Bashir Bello, said surveillance and health officers have been sent to the affected communities and samples have been taken towards knowing the kind of disease that has been killing people in the local government.

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According to him, the results of tests carried out on the affected persons has not come out, saying the results would confirm whether the disease is cholera or not. He added that the health officers sent to the communities reported that the inhabitants of the communities for a long time have been living in a poor and unhygienic condition and dirty environment.

The Caretaker Chairman, Lagelu Local Government Area, Mr Kelani Abdullahi, said: “So far, 11 persons have lost their lives to the epidemic, with five persons hospitalized, while four persons have been discharged.”

A member of Oyo State House of Assembly, Akintunde Olajide, representing Lagelu state constituency, said preliminary investigation into the cause of the sickness showed that the villagers in the affected communities lacked access to clean and potable water, adding that he had made arrangements for the immediate repair of three of the four boreholes in the communities with a view to giving the villagers access to hygienic water.