There was confusion at the Arrival Hall of the Murtala Muhammed
International Airport on Monday, as a passenger slumped and died.
It was gathered that the passenger slumped in front of the Port Health
Services office, while waiting to collect his vaccination card, usually known
as Yellow Card.
Some staff and passengers fled the scene following the man’s collapse,
as they feared he was infected with the deadly Ebola Virus Disease.
His body was covered with an orange-coloured cloth and left unattended
to by the office. However, the area was barricaded to forestall people coming
there, as people were redirected to pass other routes.
Information gathered had it that the dead man was supposed to fly to
Ghana for medical check-up when he suddenly collapsed at the airport and died.
It was revealed that the passenger, who was of middle age, may be of
Igbo origin. A lady that was seen accompanying him before his sudden death was
seen making calls to their relatives in Igbo language, telling them what
happened.
The sad incident, which happened at the arrival floor, set fear in the
spine of passengers and other airport officials that witnessed what happened.
The female relative of the dead man, who was crying, was quoted as
saying, “Ceekay, please get up; Ceekay, please get up”.
Meanwhile, a statement later released by the General Manager, Corporate
Communications of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Mr. Yakubu Dati,
gave the late passenger’s name as Mr. Akunne Osei.
It noted that the deceased was tested for the Ebola virus and the result
later came in negative.
The statement said, “FAAN wishes to inform the public that a Nigerian
passenger, residing in Accra, who arrived Lagos for business transactions
aboard an Arik Air flight on Friday August 8, 2014, has died at the Murtala
Mohammad Airport, Ikeja, on his way back to Accra.
“The passenger, Osei, took ill on Saturday August 9 and started
stooling. When the situation got worse, he called his doctor in Accra, who
instructed him to return to Ghana immediately for further treatment.
“During boarding formalities for his return trip to Accra at the
international terminal of MMA, Osei, who had obviously become weak at this
time, was subjected to Ebola Virus test by port health officials, the result of
which was negative. No further attention was paid to him after his Ebola Virus
result read negative but the passenger later slumped and died around the port
health office.”
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