Stranded Nigerians Escape From Sierra Leone, Liberia

Nigeria is again at risk of Ebola as 150 teachers stranded in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Cote D’Ivoire have reportedly started escaping into the country following the refusal of the Federal Government to evacuate them.

The escapees are said to be sneaking into the country without going through any form of testing for the disease.

The teachers were sent to the three countries to participate in the Nigerian Technical Aids Corps Programme, which is coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to The Nation, a highly place source said:

“Today, no airlines ply the Freetown-Lagos routes and the teachers and science specialists, under the Federal Government programme, seem abandoned at the Ebola-ridden countries. These teachers had sent several distress signals to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for special flight shuttles to evacuate them, but their pleas fell on deaf ears.”

“Some of these teachers have resorted to self-help by escaping from the Ebola infested communities through Ghana, Tunisia, and Morocco to return to Nigeria. Those who came back just reunited with their relations without undergoing any medical test or being quarantined. You can see how we can be flippant in this country. We seem to have been carried away by the clean bill of health given to us by the World Health Organisation (WHO),” the source added.

Nigeria was declared Ebola-free on October 20 but experts have warned that the nation is not safe until the outbreak is over in the neighbouring countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.