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| Evacuation of the index case at Abuja airport |
Information coming in has it that Nigeria is has medically evacuated its confirmed Ebola patient abroad for advanced treatment, while health authorities expand contact tracing and introduce temporary welfare support for people quarantined over possible exposure to the virus.
A source familiar with the plan told THISDAY that the 42-year-old woman, Nigeria’s index Ebola case, was scheduled to leave the country at 6 a.m. on Monday, October 26, 2026.
A medical evacuation aircraft was reportedly already stationed at the airport, with the Federal Government expected to announce the evacuation after her departure.
The plane has already taken off at the time of this report.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said two suspected Ebola cases - one in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and another in Rivers State - had tested negative. It also confirmed that 53 primary contacts linked to the confirmed patient had been identified and were being monitored.
Of the 53 contacts, 44 were linked to the health facility where the patient received care, while nine others were identified outside the facility. The additional contacts include members of the patient’s household, healthcare workers who attended to her, and members of the team that collected her samples.
Following complaints from quarantined contacts, the Federal Government is considering a weekly payment of ₦100,000 for each person in isolation or quarantine. The support is intended to cover feeding, accommodation and essential family needs during the monitoring period.
NCDC Director-General Dr Jide Idris described the intervention as temporary and compassionate, aimed at easing the burden of quarantine. State governments are expected to take over responsibility for contacts within their jurisdictions as the response progresses.
Dr Idris gave the update during a press briefing in Abuja, assuring Nigerians that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the NCDC, FCT health authorities and partners were working to contain the outbreak.
Nigeria has recorded one confirmed Ebola case caused by the Bundibugyo virus. The patient, who is already evacuated out of the country for further treatment abroad, initially received care in isolation under strict infection prevention and control measures in Nigeria, while contacts are monitored for 21 days - the virus’s incubation period - after their last possible exposure.
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