By Atoyebi Nike
Tension has spread across Ogbadibo and Okpokwu Local Government Areas of Benue State following the death of a 54-year-old woman from Lassa fever at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi.
The woman, a native of Ogbadibo LGA, reportedly died on Sunday after laboratory tests confirmed she had contracted the disease. Her remains were initially deposited in a private morgue in Ugbokolo, Okpokwu LGA, before some community youths allegedly seized the body during burial.
Benue State Commissioner for Health, Dr Paul Ogwuche, confirmed the incident, saying he led a delegation of health officials and security personnel to the affected areas to ensure public safety and prevent further spread.
“During initial response efforts, the ministry’s Rapid Response Team was confronted by agitated youths while trying to conduct a safe burial,” Ogwuche said. “Through dialogue with the family, traditional rulers, and youth leaders, the body was successfully retrieved and safely buried in Orokam in line with WHO and NCDC protocols.”
He ordered the closure of the private hospital and mortuary where the body had been kept, pending full decontamination and investigation. All hospital staff and close contacts are now under surveillance, while health education campaigns have begun to curb panic and promote hygiene.
Ogwuche urged residents to avoid handling corpses of persons suspected to have died from infectious diseases and to report any case of prolonged fever or bleeding to the nearest health facility.
Lassa fever remains a recurring challenge in Benue State, with 243 suspected cases and 13 deaths recorded between January and September 2025, according to the state epidemiologist, Dr Asema Msuega.
