Mirian Gom 
MAKURDI, Nigeria – The Benue State Government has sealed a private hospital and a mortuary in Okpokwu Local Government Area following the death of a 54-year-old woman who tested positive for Lassa fever.
Commissioner for Health and Human Resources, Dr. Paul Ogwuche, confirmed the shutdown on Thursday, describing it as an urgent containment measure to prevent further transmission and enable full decontamination of the affected facilities.
The deceased, a resident of Ogbadibo Local Government Area, died on Sunday at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, where laboratory results confirmed she was infected with Lassa fever. Her remains were later moved to a private morgue in Ugbokolo, Okpokwu.
Ogwuche said that all hospital staff and individuals who had direct or secondary contact with the woman had been traced and placed under medical surveillance.
However, response efforts escalated when a group of agitated youths forcibly removed the corpse from the morgue during burial preparations, resisting the state’s attempt to conduct a medically supervised safe burial.
“As part of immediate response, I led a delegation of senior health officials and security personnel to Ogbadibo and Okpokwu LGAs to restore calm and ensure safe containment,” Ogwuche said.
He noted that health education campaigns are now ongoing in communities across both LGAs to curb misinformation, improve hygiene, and prevent panic.
“Public health safety is our top priority,” he stressed. “We urge residents to avoid handling corpses of persons who die from suspected infectious illnesses and to promptly report prolonged fever or unexplained bleeding to the nearest health facility.”
Health authorities have reminded the public that Lassa fever spreads more easily through improper handling of patients and corpses, particularly in community settings.
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Oluwatobi Adu 
Chukwu Obinna 
Korede Abdullah 