Clinton Inene
There was a mild drama at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos yesterday as a Nigerian, who had already been cured of Ebola Virus Disease in Sierra Leone arrived the country aboard a Royal Air Maroc flight.
Theophilus Onnakhinon, who had been cured of Ebola was flown from Sierra Leone by the airline.
A source close to the Port Health authorities at the Lagos Airport confided in aviation reporters yesterday that the victim had already been treated of Ebola virus in Sierra Leone and cured of the disease by the health authorities of that country after some weeks in their custody.
“It is true that there was Ebola scare at the Lagos airport today, Wednesday, but the fact is that the victim had been cured of the disease in Sierra Leone before being assisted into Nigeria by our consular officer in that country and immediately he landed, he was handed over to the port health authorities who immediately carried out checks on him and isolated him from the other passengers.
“But, the truth is that we just want to recheck what has already been done by the Sierra Leonean authorities. You know, we cannot take chances again in the country. I can assure you that the situation is under control,” the source said.
The source, who pleaded anonymity said that a female Nigeria consular officer, accompanied Onnakhinon into the country.
According to the source, the consular officer accompanied the man into the country in order to avoid stigmatization by the Nigerian health officials and other authorities at the airport.
However, the Port health services at the Lagos Airport have declined to comment on the issue and directed enquiries to the Ministry of Health.
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