Reports reaching ViewPointNigeria indicates that nine polio health workers were on Friday shot death in two separate attacks by gunmen on tricycles as they were administering the polio vaccine within the State Capital. No one has claimed responsibility but it is suspected that the militant group Boko Haram may be behind it although there have been a lot of opposition to “kick polio out of Nigeria forever” campaign in some Northern States.

Police spokesman ASP Magaji Musa said that seven health workers were shot death at a health centre at Hotoro while two others were killed at Zaria road within the city. He confirmed that the health workers were employees of the State Government who were vaccinating children against polio

Reports reaching ViewPointNigeria indicates that nine polio health workers were on Friday shot death in two separate attacks by gunmen on tricycles as they were administering the polio vaccine within the State Capital. No one has claimed responsibility but it is suspected that the militant group Boko Haram may be behind it although there have been a lot of opposition to “kick polio out of Nigeria forever” campaign in some Northern States.

Police spokesman ASP Magaji Musa said that seven health workers were shot death at a health centre at Hotoro while two others were killed at Zaria road within the city. He confirmed that the health workers were employees of the State Government who were vaccinating children against polio.

Polio is a virus that cripples children by attacking the nervous system. Opposition from some religious and ethnic leaders in northern Nigeria has been blamed for the resurgence of the pandemic in the country and other neighbouring states once declared polio free. The World Health Organisation (WHO) in its 2012 report stated that Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan are the three countries currently polio-endemic.

By Henry Johnson

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Nine polio health workers killed in Kano