Ebola: Rufai questions airport screening, tells FG what to do

Arise Television anchor, Rufai Oseni has questioned border surveillance, airport screening and infection prevention measures in private hospitals over the outbreak of Ebola disease after 12 years.
Speaking during Arise Television’s ‘Morning Show’ on Wednesday, Rufai said Nigeria survived Ebola in 2014 because of quick action led by the late Dr Stella Adadevoh, and warned that the same urgency is needed now.
According to him, airport health screening, border surveillance and infection control in private hospitals remain weak, 12 years after the last outbreak.
He urged Nigerians to return to basic hygiene practices and for the government to immediately activate its incident management system across all states, not just Abuja, warning the Federal Government not to be complacent.
DAILY POST recalls that Nigeria on Tuesday confirmed an imported case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
The Federal Ministry of Health disclosed that the case is a woman who arrived from Uganda and developed symptoms on October 7 before seeking care at a private hospital in Abuja on October 11.
According to the ministry, 44 contacts have been identified and are being monitored, while the patient is in isolation.
The Ebola outbreak was first declared in the Democratic Republic of Congo on May 15, 2026, and has since spread to Kenya, Uganda and now Nigeria.
Reacting, Rufai said, “How did the woman pass through the airport without being detected?
“Now that it has happened, how firm is our contact tracing?
“Are we sure it’s only 44 people the Ugandan woman had contact with?
“Our contact tracing is never firm enough.”







