Amnesty International has called on Nigerian authorities to immediately declare an emergency at the 115-year-old Kurmawa Maximum Prison in Kano following the reported deaths of at least six inmates within one week from a suspected cholera outbreak.
The organisation said several other inmates are currently receiving treatment, warning that failure to take urgent action could result in more deaths.
In a statement shared on Facebook, Amnesty International urged authorities to immediately transfer critically ill inmates to hospitals for proper medical care.
It warned that the death toll could be higher as the suspected disease continues to spread among inmates, many of whom are awaiting trial.
According to the organisation, failure to urgently intervene could amount to arbitrary deprivation of life, which it described as a serious human rights violation under international law.
Amnesty International also criticised the conditions under which inmates are held in Nigerian correctional facilities, particularly those awaiting trial.
It said many inmates spend years in overcrowded and unhygienic cells without adequate food or access to healthcare, with some potentially spending the rest of their lives behind bars without ever being convicted of a crime.
The organisation called for urgent reforms to ensure that the treatment and conditions of inmates in Nigeria comply with human rights best practices and international standards.
