A Kano State father, Ibrahim Yusuf, has lost five of his children within eight days to an illness suspected to be diphtheria, leaving his family devastated.
Yusuf, a resident of Danbare New Layout in Kumbotso Local Government Area, said the tragedy occurred between October 1 and October 7, 2026.
According to reports, the ordeal began when his children developed fever. He initially took them to Kabuga Primary Healthcare Centre, but as their conditions worsened, they were referred to the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Kano.
Two of the children reportedly died on the same day, while another died on Tuesday night. Two more died the following day, bringing the total number of deaths to five.
The deceased children were identified as Sadiq, 13; Aisha, seven; Zainab, seven; Umar, six; and Aliyu, one year and six months old. Yusuf, who has 11 children, appealed to the government to urgently intervene and prevent further deaths.
A staff member of the Kano State Centre for Disease Control and Prevention reportedly confirmed the five deaths at the hospital. However, health authorities had yet to independently confirm diphtheria as the cause of the children’s deaths at the time of reporting.
The Director-General of the state disease control agency, Professor Muhammad Adamu Abbas, pledged to investigate the incident and urged residents to seek medical attention promptly when infectious diseases are suspected.
Diphtheria is a serious, vaccine-preventable bacterial infection that can cause breathing difficulties and other life-threatening complications. Health experts emphasise vaccination, early diagnosis and prompt treatment to reduce the risk of severe illness and death. <Cite refs={[“turn830013news0″,”turn830013search5″,”turn830013search9”]}/>
