Panic In Kano As COVID-19-Related Deaths Ravage Sabon Gari Community

Another wave of deaths has hit Kano as the sordid spread of the virulent coronavirus continues to wreak havoc on the ancient city.

This time around, the disease has unleashed its fangs on the minority group as the Igbo community is said to be at the receiving end of plethora of deaths for days on end now in the state.

According to 247ureports.com, the minority communities of Sabon Gari are now besieged by the deadly corona virus disease. This is as corpses are being recovered from homes within the community on a daily basis.

According to information gathered, the community of Sabon Gari which is predominantly occupied by non-indigenes of Kano State – mainly southerners which had been considered safe from the marauding pandemic that had hit the ancient city of Kano has now been invaded by the virus.

Also read: COVID-19: 11 Frontline Workers Test Positive In Kano

For weeks on end, Kano townships and metropolis had been hit by the virus more than most communities in Nigeria.

The state has recorded unofficial death rate of over 200 deaths daily, amongst the dead are many prominent Indigenes of the state.

Undertakers and pallbearers around the city expressed concerns over the unprecedented upsurge in the number of corpses being brought to the burial grounds strewn across the state.

“Beggars and almajiris who troop into the community to beg for alms – are the carriers of the virus – and unknowingly are spreading the virus inside Sabon Gari”, the outfit quoted a source to have said.

The source notes that dead bodies believed to have been victims of the virus are recovered from many locations within Sabon Gari. “Yesterday along Sayolu / Ijebu road, two dead bodies were recovered and buried secretly in the evening”.

The source lamented that Sabon Gari is no longer safe. “More dead bodies were pulled from New road, Burma road and Weatherhead road in the evening and buried discretely”. The source called on the authorities to situate a testing center inside Sabon Gari. “We need help”.

The federal government had been slow to respond to the unfolding disaster. The State Government, within its own capacity had put forth efforts to mitigate the rapid spread of the virus but the resources required appears beyond the capacity of the State. It took the combined effort of the CEO of BUA and Dangote industries to set broad reaching testing centers – with sufficient test capacities to make a significant dent.

Interestingly, the Kano born billionaire, Aliko Dangote was not fully willing to help the people of Kano State owing to his friendship with the ousted Emir of Kano, Alhaji Lamido Sanusi. The billionaire initially reneged on his pledge to donate testing centers until the CEO of BUA stepped to set up testing centers.

Meanwhile, the spread of the virus into Sabon Gari poses a danger to the ability to combat the virus. Sabon Gari has a population of 393,300 and a population density of 1495 persons per square kilometer. It has one of the highest population densities in Kano State. The average population density of Kano is 470 persons per square kilometer. The high population density of Sabon Gari poses a risk. The rate of infection increases with high population densities. A ticking time bomb.