A woman described as Nigeria’s Ebola index patient has reportedly been flown out of the country on a medical evacuation plane.
ARISE News, citing sources, said the operation took place early Monday at the private jet wing of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. The woman was said to be the wife of a Swiss diplomat based in Nigeria. She was reportedly due to leave at about 6 a.m.
The broadcaster said its crew at the airport’s General Aviation Terminal captured photos of a convoy of ambulances arriving from Abuja city centre. Diplomatic vehicles escorted the ambulances. The three-vehicle convoy reportedly included a car belonging to an international agency.
According to the report, airport officials also sealed off the private wing during the operation. Access to the area was restricted.
ARISE News added that it obtained video showing the aircraft and its crew preparing to receive the passenger. The outlet said it suspected she was the Ebola index case because of the special nature of the operation.
A source also told the broadcaster that the Federal Government would announce the evacuation only after the plane had left Nigerian airspace.
Still, key details remain unconfirmed. These include her identity, the flight’s destination and her current health condition. As of press time, neither the Federal Government nor health authorities had issued a statement confirming the evacuation.
