Sierra Leone fires National Security boss following seizure of suspicious Ebola blood samples

onnaedo

March 3, 2015 4:47 PM

Mustapha Dumbuya, Sierra Leone's National Security boss has been fired after suspicious Ebola samples bound for South Africa were intercepted at Lungi International Airport.

Sierra Leone has fired its Head of National Security, Mustapha Dumbuya after security agents seized 250kg of controversial Ebola blood samples, bound for South Africa, at Lungi International Airport.

Premium Times reports that Dumbuya, who is a retired Brigadier-General was relieved of his duties over the weekend and immediately replaced by his deputy, Ismail Tarasid-Tarawally, subject to parliamentary approval. No official reason was however given for his sack.

Agents of the country’s Office of National Security reportedly intercepted a consignment of 2,592 serum samples in 72 boxes bound for South Africa on Friday which the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and the ONS explained as samples which were headed to BSL4 Bio Safety Lab in South Africa for storage and further research. This was in line with an agreement between the MOHS and National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) laboratory at Lakkah.

A total of 3,641 people have so far died from Ebola in Sierra Leone making it one of the worst hit countries of the Ebola virus behind Liberia with 4,037 people.

The World Health Organisation reports that transmission remains widespread in the country with 63 new confirmed cases in the week leading to February 22.

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