No Ebola case in Niger State, but Suleja on high alert - Health Commissioner

The Niger State Government has said no active case of Ebola has been detected in Suleja or any part of the state but has placed the area on heightened alert in line with directives from the federal government

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Murtala Muhammad Bagana, on Saturday said Suleja is considered a critical high-risk area because it shares a direct boundary with the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, and records high daily transit and trade volume with Abuja.

According to him, the heightened state of preparedness followed the confirmation of an imported Ebola case in Abuja by the Federal Government.

“Surveillance has been intensified across the state, particularly in Suleja, while health workers have been sensitised to promptly detect and report suspected cases,” Bagana said.

He urged residents to rely on official updates and avoid spreading misinformation.

Recall that Nigeria confirmed an imported case of Ebola Bundibugyo Virus Disease in the FCT on October 20, 2026, its first in about a decade.

According to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the World Health Organisation, the patient is a 42-year-old woman who recently travelled from Uganda and arrived in Abuja on October 3 via an Ethiopian Airlines flight.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate said 44 contacts have been identified and are being monitored, while the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has activated its incident management system to contain the spread.