Ebola Scare: Nigeria Plans Passenger Isolation, Flight Controls at Borders

The Federal Government has announced plans to introduce stricter health measures, including possible flight restrictions and passenger isolation protocols, to prevent an Ebola outbreak in Nigeria following fresh cases reported in parts of Africa.

The development was disclosed on Thursday after a high-level strategic meeting in Victoria Island, Lagos, convened to review Nigeria’s preparedness and response framework against the deadly viral disease.

The meeting was led by the Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila and attended by top government officials including the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Dr Jide Idris and the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.

Speaking after the meeting, Gbajabiamila said the government was determined not to leave anything to chance, especially considering Nigeria’s previous experience with Ebola.

“We have a health scare, which is Ebola and we all know what happened the last time. The cases are getting worse internationally and worldwide, and we don’t want to leave anything to chance,” he said.

According to him, one of the key measures under consideration is restricting flights from countries currently experiencing outbreaks or increased Ebola-related concerns.

He added that authorities are also looking at isolating passengers who show symptoms associated with the disease at the country’s entry points.

“We looked at the possibility of restricting flights from countries of interest. We also considered isolating passengers who may exhibit symptoms of Ebola,” he stated.

Gbajabiamila revealed that government officials are discussing the possibility of processing passengers from affected regions through designated cargo terminals or specialised isolation facilities to minimise public exposure.

“We believe that prevention is better than cure, and where some passengers slip through the cracks, we must have ways of dealing with such situations,” he added.

Interior Minister Tunji-Ojo assured Nigerians that all points of entry into the country would be placed under strict surveillance.

He said the Nigeria Immigration Service would deepen collaboration with the NCDC to strengthen early detection systems and emergency response mechanisms.

On his part, the NCDC Director-General warned that Ebola remains one of the world’s most dangerous infectious diseases because there is currently no approved cure or vaccine universally available.

Dr Idris stressed that the country’s preparedness strategy would rely heavily on public health protocols such as rapid detection, isolation, infection prevention and aggressive public awareness campaigns.

“This particular virus has no treatment and no vaccines. So the public health measures that need to be done include isolation, quick detection, public enlightenment, infection prevention and control,” he said.

The renewed concern follows reports that more than 900 suspected Ebola cases and at least 220 suspected deaths have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo since authorities declared an outbreak on May 15.

Uganda has also confirmed several cases, including fatalities, prompting African countries to intensify border surveillance and preventive measures.