At least six inmates have reportedly died within one week following a suspected cholera outbreak at the Kurmawa Maximum Prison in Kano State.

Amnesty International raised the alarm in a statement shared on its official Facebook page, calling on relevant authorities to immediately declare an emergency at the correctional facility.

The organisation said several other inmates were receiving treatment, warning that the death toll could rise if urgent measures were not taken to contain the suspected outbreak.

Amnesty International also called for critically ill inmates to be transferred immediately to hospitals where they could receive adequate medical attention.

It warned that failure to take urgent steps to protect the lives of inmates could amount to arbitrary deprivation of life, which it described as a serious human rights violation under international law.

The organisation further expressed concern over the general conditions in Nigerian correctional facilities, particularly the prolonged detention of inmates awaiting trial.

According to Amnesty, detainees without the financial means to secure legal representation often face difficulties in protecting their rights, with some spending years in custody without being convicted.

It also raised concerns about overcrowding, poor sanitation, inadequate food and limited access to healthcare in some correctional facilities.

Amnesty International urged the authorities to urgently investigate the reported deaths, contain the suspected outbreak and improve healthcare and sanitary conditions at the prison.

The organisation also called for broader reforms to ensure that Nigerian correctional facilities meet national and international standards for the treatment of inmates.