Two inmates have died following a cholera outbreak at the Kurmawa Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kano State, the Nigerian Correctional Service has confirmed.

The outbreak was laboratory-confirmed on September 23 by the facility's medical team working with Kano State public health authorities, after the first suspected case was identified six days earlier.

The Nigerian Correctional Service said one of the inmates died at the custodial centre, while the second death occurred at the Kano State Infectious Diseases Hospital.

According to the Service Public Relations Officer, Jane Osuji, the first sign of the outbreak emerged on September 17 when an inmate developed vomiting and diarrhoea.

The inmate was admitted to the medical facility within the custodial centre for treatment.

By the following morning, medical personnel had activated emergency response measures and intensified monitoring and treatment as concerns grew over the possibility of further infections.

Laboratory investigations later confirmed cholera.

The Service said its medical team worked with Kano public health authorities during the response and that measures introduced after the outbreak helped bring the situation under control.

No additional deaths have been recorded since the diagnosis, according to the NCoS.

Controller-General of Corrections Sylvester Nwakuche was briefed on the outbreak and directed that medical intervention and preventive measures should continue at the facility.

A team of senior medical personnel from the Service's national headquarters was also directed to travel to Kano for further monitoring.

The deaths highlight the particular challenge infectious diseases can pose in custodial environments, where a large number of people may live in close proximity and authorities are responsible for access to healthcare, sanitation and disease surveillance.

The Correctional Service said it was working with the Kano State Government on additional measures aimed at preventing further spread.

It also maintained that qualified medical personnel provide healthcare services across correctional facilities and said disease surveillance, early detection and response systems were being strengthened.

The NCoS did not state in the announcement how many inmates were infected during the outbreak or how many people required hospital treatment.

It also did not provide details about the suspected source of the infection.

Those figures will be important in assessing the full scale of the outbreak beyond the two confirmed deaths.

For now, authorities say the outbreak has been contained, but medical monitoring is continuing at Kurmawa.

The Service has urged the public to rely on verified official information as it continues to monitor the facility.

The confirmed timeline shows that the first symptomatic inmate was detected on September 17, laboratory confirmation came on September 23 and two deaths were recorded during the outbreak.

With senior medical personnel now assigned to continued monitoring, attention will turn to whether additional infections are identified and what preventive steps are taken inside the facility after the immediate outbreak.