Six children were  confirmed dead in Maizare Village, Suletankarkar Local Government Area of Jigawa State, following an outbreak of measles and whooping cough in the area.

It was learnt  that the deceased were under five years of age.

It was gathered that the diseases were suspected to  have spread from neighbouring Niger Republic, as four out of the affected communities are border villages located on Nigeria/Niger Republic border.

Confirming the incident, the Suletankarkar Local Government Area, Head of the Department for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Mohammed Maisamari, said the outbreak was recorded in six villages in the area.

According to him, his local government area got the report of the outbreak on March 1, after the death of the children, saying the council promptly responded by sending a team of health workers to the affected villages for treatment of the  children diagnosed either of the diseases.