Ebola hits Abuja as FG confirms imported case, tracks 44 contacts

•Patient returned from Uganda, now stable in isolation, says Pate

By Stanley Onyekwere

The Federal Government on Tuesday confirmed an imported case of Ebola Virus Disease in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, revealing that 44 contacts have been identified and placed under close monitoring to prevent local transmission.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed the development during an emergency press conference in Abuja, confirming that laboratory tests returned positive for an adult female who recently returned from Uganda.
According to the Minister, the patient developed symptoms on October 7 and initially sought treatment at a private healthcare facility in Abuja on October 11 before her condition prompted specialized testing, leading to the positive diagnosis.
Prof. Pate stated that the patient is currently in a stable condition within an isolation facility, receiving medical care under strict protocols.
He added that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, in collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the FCT Health Secretariat, the World Health Organisation (WHO), and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), has activated a multi-agency response mechanism.
“Today, we are confirming that there has been one imported case of Ebola virus disease in the Federal Capital Territory. Laboratory confirmation was received today.
“The patient is a woman who had travel history to Eastern Africa, to Uganda in particular, and came back with symptoms that commenced on the 7th of October,”Pate said.
Prof. Pate revealed that contact tracing efforts commenced immediately, with 44 individuals identified so far across healthcare facilities, transport channels, and domestic settings.
He added that the tracked contacts include healthcare workers who attended to the patient, co-patients, caregivers, and travel companions.
According to him, public health teams are continuing epidemiological investigations to identify any additional exposed persons, while infection prevention and control measures at the private hospital visited by the patient have been reinforced.
“The patient is stable, and we are doing everything possible to ensure that we contain this by tracing all the contacts that this individual may have had,” the Minister assured.
Calling for heightened surveillance, Prof. Pate directed public and private health institutions across the 36 states and the FCT to maintain a high index of suspicion and strictly enforce infection prevention and control procedures.
He advised Nigerians to remain calm and vigilant, reassuring the public that the nation’s health security architecture is fully equipped to handle the situation, drawing on lessons from Nigeria’s successful containment of the 2014 Ebola outbreak.
Pate disclosed that a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease had already been constituted in May 2026 as a proactive measure against regional threats, adding that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been fully briefed and has issued directives to ensure rapid containment.
He urged the public to observe strict personal hygiene, avoid direct contact with body fluids of individuals showing symptoms, and disregard unverified reports on social media.
Our correspondent reports that suspected cases can be reported via the NCDC toll-free line (6232).