ABUJA – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said that Nigeria’s Ambassador to Liberia, Chigozie Obi-Nnadozie, had no contact with Patrick Sawyer, the 40-year old Liberian national who died of Ebola virus in lagos last week.
A statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja by Mr Ogbole Ode, the Ministry spokesman, blamed the Federal Ministry of Health and Lagos State officials for the misinformation.
Obi-Nnadozie had been erroneously identified in the media to be among the 59 persons who had contact with Sawyer.
The Liberian finance ministry employee, who is a naturalised American, died in Lagos last week after contracting the disease from his sister in Liberia. [eap_ad_2] Despite showing early symptoms, Sawyer flew on a commercial flight from Liberia to Nigeria, via Togo but died five days later in Lagos.
A statement from the ministry said: “Ambassador Obi-Nnadozie did not at any time have any contact with Mr Sawyer either by way of being in the same building or vehicle or a given location.
“The ambassador is still at her duty post in Monrovia. The federal health authorities together with their Lagos State counterparts may wish to cross-check this for more accurate information.’’
Meanwhile the Australian government has warned their citizens to avoid travelling to affected areas in West Africa, including Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
A total of 672 people have been killed by Ebola virus in these countries. (NAN)[eap_ad_3]
