By Uzair Adam
The Nigerian Forest Security Service (NFSS), Kano State Command, has deployed personnel to Garko Local Government Area to track and contain dogs suspected of carrying rabies after one dog reportedly attacked and bit 18 people in the area.
The State Commander, Abdullahi Al’ameen, disclosed this in a statement signed by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Usman Abdullahi-Umar, on Sunday in Kano.
Al’ameen said the command received a distress report at about 2 p.m. that a dog suspected to be rabid had attacked residents in Garko town.
According to him, the dog initially attacked and bit 11 people in Garko town before moving into neighbouring communities, where it attacked seven additional residents.
“The dog had so far bitten 11 persons in Garko town before moving to neighbouring communities, including Raba, Kadage, Gurjiya and Dausai,” he said.
The commander added that the command had received another report indicating that two more dogs were suspected to have contracted rabies in the area.
He said personnel from the NFSS Garko Division, led by the Divisional Forest Officer, Auwalu Muhammad, had been deployed to the affected communities to track and contain the suspected rabid dogs.
Al’ameen urged residents of Garko and neighbouring communities to remain vigilant and promptly report sightings of stray or suspected rabid dogs to the nearest NFSS office or other security agencies.
He also advised anyone bitten by a suspected rabid dog to seek immediate medical attention, stressing the importance of prompt treatment.
Al’ameen assured residents that the NFSS would continue to monitor the situation and take necessary measures to prevent further attacks.