The Yobe State Government has activated its public health emergency response system and intensified surveillance across the state’s 17 local government areas following the confirmation of an imported Ebola case in Nigeria.
The government, however, has assured residents that no Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) case has been recorded in Yobe, saying proactive measures are underway to prevent a possible outbreak.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Human Services, Hadiza Sabo, disclosed this on Monday during a briefing at the State Emergency Operations Centre in Damaturu.
She said the measures followed the confirmation of an Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on October 20, 2026, involving a patient who had travelled from Uganda and tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of the virus.
According to Sabo, Governor Mai Mala Buni directed the activation of the state’s Public Health Emergency Incident Management System and the development of a comprehensive emergency preparedness and response plan.
She explained that the State Emergency Operations Centre had been placed on high alert, while disease surveillance officers across the 17 LGAs had been directed to investigate and promptly report suspected cases.
The state has also strengthened contact-tracing arrangements, identified isolation and treatment facilities across its three senatorial zones, and enhanced the preparedness of frontline health workers through additional training in infection prevention, safe sample collection and clinical management.
Sabo added that the government was working with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the World Health Organisation and UNICEF to coordinate its response in line with national public health guidelines.
She urged residents to practise regular handwashing, avoid direct contact with the blood and bodily fluids of people suspected of having Ebola, and promptly report unusual illnesses or deaths to health authorities.
The government also cautioned against spreading unverified information and stigmatising people identified as contacts, noting that being monitored does not mean an individual has contracted the disease.
Yobe’s preparedness measures are particularly important given the need for early detection and rapid response to infectious disease threats. Strengthened surveillance, public awareness and cooperation with health authorities can help identify suspected cases promptly and reduce the risk of further transmission.
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