Yobe State Government Activates Ebola Response Measures

The Yobe State Government has activated its emergency response system and enhanced surveillance across its 17 local government areas in response to an imported Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) case confirmed in Nigeria. Hajiya Hadiza Sabo, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Health and Human Services, announced this at a press briefing in Damaturu on Tuesday.

The confirmed case, reported by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) on October 20, 2026, involves a diplomat who arrived from Uganda and tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. As of October 24, the patient is in isolation and receiving treatment, with 53 close contacts identified and monitored.

Governor Mai Mala Buni has directed the activation of the state’s Public Health Emergency Incident Management System and the creation of a comprehensive emergency preparedness and response plan. Isolation and treatment facilities have been equipped with essential medicines and personal protective equipment, and healthcare workers have been trained in infection prevention and case management.

The State Emergency Operations Centre is on high alert in collaboration with the NCDC, World Health Organisation, and UNICEF.