'No govt will use Ebola as political weapon' – NCDC boss

The Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, has said no government will use Ebola as a political weapon.

Jide Idris made this statement on Monday during an interview on Channels TV Politics Today while reacting to rumours of the virus on social media.

According to him, claims that the government will use Ebola as a political weapon to cause fear ahead of 2027 are false and should be disregarded.

The NCDC boss said the government is focused on protecting Nigerians and not using disease for politics.

He urged Nigerians to disregard fake news and follow NCDC guidelines to stay safe from Ebola and other diseases.

“No government will use Ebola as a political weapon,” he said.

Recall that the NCDC had earlier confirmed one imported case from Uganda and placed 53 contacts under monitoring in Abuja.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization, WHO, had said Nigeria currently has no Ebola case after the evacuation of the index patient to Switzerland.

The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Janabi, made this known in a statement posted on his verified X handle on Monday, stating that Nigeria would continue monitoring 52 contacts while Switzerland would manage the patient and follow up with her husband.