How Nigeria came close to an Ebola disaster in 2014 and the doctor who stopped it

Precious Omolu 16:39 - 16 September 2026

Dr. Stella Ameyo Adadevoh stands as a heroic figure whose swift action saved millions from an Ebola outbreak

In 2014, Nigeria nearly faced an Ebola crisis after Patrick Sawyer arrived in Lagos. Dr Stella Adadevoh’s quick decision to isolate him helped stop a bigger outbreak.

Patrick Sawyer brought Ebola to Lagos in July 2014 during the biggest Ebola outbreak in West Africa’s history.
Dr Stella Ameyo Adadevoh refused to let Sawyer leave First Consultants Hospital despite pressure, helping Nigeria contain the virus.
Nigeria recorded 20 Ebola cases and 8 deaths, including Dr Adadevoh and other healthcare workers.
Her bravery was later recognised with national and international awards, and her story was featured in the Nollywood film 93 Days.

Imagine waking up one morning in Lagos, a city of over 20 million people, and finding out that a deadly virus had entered the city.

That was the fear Nigeria faced in July 2014 when Ebola came knocking at the country’s door.

At the centre of the crisis was a man named Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian-American government official who arrived in Lagos on July 20, 2014, for a conference.

At the time, West Africa was already battling the deadliest Ebola outbreak ever recorded. Thousands of people had been infected across countries like Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

So when Sawyer arrived in Nigeria and suddenly became very sick, health officials had every reason to worry.

Patrick Sawyer arrived in Lagos from Liberia on July 20, 2014, before he was diagnosed with Ebola.

He was taken to First Consultants Hospital in Lagos, where a doctor quickly noticed that something was not right.

Her name was Dr Stella Ameyo Adadevoh.

Dr Adadevoh had worked as a physician for more than three decades and was one of Nigeria’s most respected doctors. While examining Sawyer, she became suspicious that his symptoms could be linked to Ebola.

But Sawyer wanted to leave the hospital.

And this was where Dr Adadevoh made the decision that would later save thousands of lives.

First Consultants Hospital in Lagos became the facility where Dr Stella Adadevoh insisted Patrick Sawyer remained in isolation.

She refused to release him.

Despite the pressure, she insisted that Sawyer remain isolated until proper tests were carried out.

Her concern was confirmed. Patrick Sawyer had Ebola.

That one decision gave Nigerian health authorities the time they needed to respond. Contact tracing began immediately, and hundreds of people who had interacted with Sawyer were identified, monitored and tested.

Nigeria had managed to stop what could have become a major outbreak in one of the world’s busiest cities.

By the time the Ebola epidemic was declared over in 2016, the virus had infected more than 28,000 people and killed over 11,000 people globally, according to the World Health Organisation.

Nigeria recorded 20 Ebola cases and eight deaths.

Among those who died were healthcare workers who treated Sawyer, including Dr Stella Adadevoh.

She died on August 19, 2014, at the age of 57, after spending her final days in isolation away from her family and loved ones.

Her body was decontaminated and cremated by the Nigerian government, and her family later received her ashes for a private burial ceremony.

However, months after her death, when Nigeria released its 2014 National Honours List, many Nigerians were surprised that Dr Adadevoh’s name was missing.

The doctor who stood between Lagos and a possible Ebola disaster was not initially included among the country’s highest honours.

She was later recognised with several awards, including the ECOWAS Award of Excellence. In 2022, she was posthumously awarded the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), one of Nigeria’s national honours.

Dr Stella Ameyo Adadevoh was posthumously honoured for her sacrifice after losing her life while helping Nigeria contain the Ebola outbreak.

Her story also reached a wider audience through the 2016 Nollywood movie 93 Days, which showed the events surrounding Nigeria’s fight against Ebola.

Today, Ebola outbreaks continue to happen in parts of Africa, including countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

But for many Nigerians, the 2014 Ebola crisis remains a reminder of how close the country came to a much bigger health disaster, and how one doctor’s refusal to give up helped protect millions of people.

Dr Stella Ameyo Adadevoh did not just treat a patient.

She stood her ground when the whole country was at risk.