An outbreak of strange illness has claimed over 50 lives in a community in Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State.
It was gathered that the illness which is still unknown comes with symptoms of headache, red eye, loss of appetite, inability to urinate or defecate, convulsion and finally death.
The lawmaker representing Olamaboro Constituency in the Kogi State House of Assembly, Ujah Anthony Alewo, who disclosed this in a motion of urgent public importance presented at the floor of the house on Tuesday, said it was sad and quite disturbing that the residents of Etteh community in Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State were thrown into confusion by the outbreak of an epidemic alien to them.
According to the lawmaker, the cause of the illness is still unknown, adding that infected persons die within one week of contracting the disease.
More worrisome, according to him, is that all efforts to get solution using local herbs and treatment at primary health centres with referrals to clinics and hospitals in neighboring Ogugu and Okpo have been unsuccessful.
“The reports reaching my constituency office from the community leaders confirmed that over 50 people between the age of 25 and 40 years have died since September,” he said.
The legislator urged the Assembly to mandate its Committee on Health and Social Services for an on-the-spot assessment of loss of lives.
The lawmaker representing Dekina Biraidu, Moses Ododo, seconded the motion, stressing that the lives of people in the community need to be saved.
Deputy Speaker Ahmed Mohammed noted that the community shared boundary with Enugu State.
He called for urgent action to avert further loss of lives.