Health Alert: NSA Raises Alarm Over Lax Airport Screening Following Confirmed Ebola Case in Abuja

The Federal Government has ordered security agencies, port health authorities, and border control personnel to immediately enforce strict surveillance across all entry points, following reports of lax screening and protocol breaches at the nation’s airports.
​The urgent directive follows serious concerns raised by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) regarding non-compliance with established Ebola entry procedures, coming on the heels of a confirmed imported case of the virus in the Federal Capital Territory.
​Strict Enforcement and Compliance Mandate
​The government’s directive was issued via a Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare circular (Ref: PS/FMOH/08/VIII/48), signed by Permanent Secretary Daju Kachollum on behalf of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate.
​The circular mandates all border control and aviation health officials to enforce approved health screening measures consistently and without exception.
​“The ministry emphasised the need for consistent, effective and non-discriminatory enforcement of the approved measures to mitigate potential cross-border transmission and protect public health and national security,” the document stated.
​Under the new operational guidelines, all relevant authorities must:
​Enforce Mandatory Screening: Ensure full compliance with health declaration forms, temperature checks, and surveillance protocols for all arriving passengers.
​Document and Report Breaches: Immediately record and report any actual or attempted violations of entry protocols through official security and health channels.
​Ensure Accountability: Establish monitoring mechanisms to protect enforcement officers from intimidation or interference while carrying out their duties.
​Strengthen Inter-Agency Coordination: Accelerate real-time information sharing between health officials, immigration services, and security personnel to ensure prompt responses to potential public health threats.
​Abuja Ebola Case Triggers National Alert
​The heightened security posture follows the confirmation of an imported Ebola case in Abuja. Laboratory diagnostics confirmed that a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria contracted the Bundibugyo strain of the virus.
​Although the circular did not disclose the specific airports or the number of protocol breaches recorded, health authorities underscored that rigorous border surveillance remains Nigeria’s vital first line of defense against potential cross-border transmission.