Ebola Victim’s Death: FG, Lagos Launch Manhunt for Co-passengers

Following the death of an Ebola virus victim from Liberia, Patrick Sawyer, in Lagos, on Thursday, the Federal Government and the Lagos State Government have jointly launched a manhunt for some of the passengers of the airplane that brought the late Liberian into the country, Sunday Newswatch has learnt. The late Sawyer, who was reported to have arrived Nigeria last Sunday aboard a Liberian carrier, Asky Airline, was said to be in company of over 100 co-passengers of different nationalities, among who were about 35 Nigerians. The 40-year-old visiting Liberian died of the deadly virus after being tested positive to the disease at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). According to sources in the Federal Ministry of Health, the Nigerian co-passengers of the late Ebola victim were supposed to be quarantined for thorough investigations, based on an order placed by the Federal Government, but no sooner had the news broken out, than the suspected victims of the deadly virus took to their heels, after having been contacted by officials of the ministry. This prompted the Federal Government, in conjunction with the authorities in Lagos, to take the latest action and launch the manhunt, categorising the alleged escapees as fugitives. Further investigations by Sunday Newswatch revealed that among them are two notable Nigerians, who live on a street in a vicinity categorised among the upper-end areas in Lagos. A security personnel, who was among those detailed for the manhunt, confided in Sunday Newswatch that a serious search had began, in order to fish out suspected Ebola virus patients, who might be on the run, and that there were specific instructions to move them to designated quarantined areas, as soon as they are seen. http://www.medicalworldnigeria.com/2014/07/ebola-victim-rsquo-s-death-fg-lagos-launch-manhunt-for-co-passengers/#.U9T9d12t-o8