Search For Those On The Plane With Liberian Ebola Victim To Commence In Lagos St

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The Lagos State commissioner for Health, Dr.Jide Idris has announced that the State has instigated a search for those on the same flight form Togo to Lagos with Liberia’s Patrick Sawyer who died last Friday in Lagos of Ebola virus.

The commissioner announced that it was mandatory in order to prevent the spread of the deadly virus in the state, which many in-turn spread across the nation.

"We are going to trace all of them, each one of them is going to be questioned. There is a protocol they will follow in terms of questioning. They are going to be monitored in the next 21 days to see if any of them has the symptoms,” Idris said.

Meanwhile, One of Nigeria’s foremost airlines, Arik Air yesterday suspended all flight operations to Liberia and Sierra Leone following the widespread of Ebola diseases in the countries. This development is coming 24 hours after a Liberian national, Mr. Patrick Sawyer, died after having contracted the dreaded Ebola disease. The airline company also advised that all inbound flights into Nigeria from any of the Ebola affected countries be immediately suspended by the Federal Government. DailyPost recalls that Sawyer flew into Nigeria aboard Asky Airline to attend an ECOWAS conference in Calabar, Cross River State before he died.

Confirming the suspension of the flights yesterday, Arik Air General Manager, Public Relations, Mr Ola Adebanji said “As a result of the first Ebola virus death officially confirmed in Lagos, and involving a Liberian national who flew on a foreign (non-Nigerian) based airline from Monrovia via Lome (Togo) into the city last week, Arik Air will be suspending operations into Monrovia (Liberia) and Freetown (Sierra Leone) effective July 28, 2014.”

“The suspension will be in force until further notice. This decision is a precautionary measure aimed at safeguarding the precious lives of Nigerians. Arik Air is taking this important measure as a concerned corporate citizen bearing interest of Nigerians at heart.“

According to him, the airline acknowledged the steps the Federal Government of Nigeria was currently taking to prevent the spread of the deadly Ebola virus, saying “however, we feel compelled to take the decision to immediately suspend services into the two Ebola affected countries due to our interest in the well being of Nigerians.”