The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, has confirmed that Nigeria’s index Ebola patient has been evacuated from Abuja to Switzerland.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Pate disclosed that the patient departed Nigeria on Monday, October 26, with his approval.

The evacuation was carried out aboard a medical air ambulance through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

In a statement, the minister revealed that the 42-year-old patient was clinically much improved, stable, conscious and able to communicate, while laboratory results were gradually returning towards baseline levels.

However, he noted that the patient remained infectious, necessitating strict adherence to established safety protocols throughout the evacuation process.

The patient was reportedly accompanied by her spouse, who has remained asymptomatic.

Pate expressed appreciation to the clinical team for providing quality medical care and commended public health officials for ensuring that the evacuation complied with established best practices.

He added that further updates would be provided later in the afternoon after the patient and her spouse arrived in Switzerland.

The minister also urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and obtain information from credible sources, stressing that public health measures remained in place across the country to contain the imported Ebola case.

Meanwhile, the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness, Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats has assured Nigerians that the country is prepared to manage the disease.

The task force chairman and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, gave the assurance while speaking to journalists after the committee’s emergency meeting at the State House on Wednesday.

Gbajabiamila explained that the task force had been working behind the scenes since its inauguration in June, a development he said contributed to the timely detection of the index case.

He further assured Nigerians that the committee would strengthen existing public health protocols where necessary and ensure stricter enforcement of the measures designed to prevent the spread of the disease.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has recorded more than 6,100 flying hours and over 2,900 sorties, consuming nearly 10 million litres of aviation fuel in security operations conducted between November 2025 and September 2026.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday ahead of the first anniversary of the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, on October 30.

According to Ejodame, the operations involved precision air strikes, armed reconnaissance, surveillance and close air support aimed at weakening hostile groups, disrupting their movements and providing assistance to ground troops.

“Between November 2025 and September 2026, the NAF recorded over 6,100 flying hours and more than 2,900 sorties, consuming close to 10 million litres of Jet A-1 fuel in support of national security operations,” the statement read.

He explained that intelligence-driven planning remained a key component of the missions, with each operation guided by actionable intelligence, clearly defined objectives and assessments of operational outcomes.

The spokesman attributed the achievements to Aneke’s transformation agenda, which focuses on improving operational effectiveness, personnel welfare, technological advancement and institutional accountability.

On personnel welfare, Ejodame said Aneke had introduced several initiatives under the principle of “Welfare for Enhanced Warfare” to improve allowances, medical services, accommodation and other facilities.

He added that the Air Force had also reactivated welfare airlift services for personnel deployed to frontline operational theatres.

The NAF spokesman disclosed that 57 senior officers had been promoted to the ranks of Air Vice Marshal and Air Commodore. Additionally, 1,534 senior non-commissioned officers and 1,936 non-commissioned officers had also received promotions.

According to him, more than 550 personnel participated in international training programmes and professional engagements, while over 6,000 others underwent local training to strengthen their technical expertise, specialised skills and leadership capabilities.

On aircraft modernisation, Ejodame revealed that the Air Force received five additional helicopters in September, comprising three AW-109 Trekker Type B helicopters and two H125 helicopters.

He said the service was also pursuing the acquisition of 12 AH-1Z attack helicopters, alongside other aircraft and unmanned aerial systems, to enhance its combat, airlift, training, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.

Furthermore, six L-39ZA aircraft were undergoing reactivation and upgrades in Slovakia and Nigeria, while periodic depot maintenance on a C-130 aircraft was ongoing in Portugal.

Regarding infrastructure development, the Air Force approved 284 projects, of which 145 had been completed, while 139 remained ongoing. The projects cover residential accommodation, academic and medical facilities, roads, electricity, water supply, administrative buildings and operational infrastructure.

Ejodame also said the service had strengthened aviation safety and accountability through the establishment of an Operational and Safety Audit Committee and improvements to its Safety Management System.

He added that the NAF was developing measures to prevent and respond to civilian harm through standardised training and enhanced assessment and investigation capabilities.

The service was also working towards establishing an Open-Source Intelligence Centre to improve situational awareness and operational planning by leveraging publicly available information and emerging technologies.

On local production, the spokesman said the Air Force had pursued initiatives involving Aircraft Release Device 863 impulse release cartridges, a 250-kilogramme bomb-loading trolley, and the development and ground testing of locally manufactured 57-millimetre rockets.

He further noted that community-focused healthcare, educational initiatives and other special projects had continued to strengthen civil-military relations and improve public confidence in the service.

Ejodame said the Nigerian Air Force remained committed to converting investments in personnel, aircraft, training, technology and infrastructure into improved operational results.

“Through stronger joint operations, strategic partnerships, improved maintenance, professional development and responsible employment of airpower, the Service continues to pursue greater readiness and effectiveness in addressing Nigeria’s security challenges,” the statement added.

Nigeria’s index patient diagnosed with the Ebola virus has been evacuated from the country in the early hours of this morning.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

According to Arise TV, the patient was airlifted out of Nigeria aboard a medical evacuation aircraft from the private jet section of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

Sources cited by the television station had earlier disclosed that the patient, a woman identified as the wife of a Swiss diplomat in Nigeria, was expected to leave the country at about 6 a.m. aboard a medical evacuation plane that had arrived at the airport to transport her.

Arise TV also obtained photographs showing a convoy of ambulances arriving from the Abuja city centre, accompanied by diplomatic vehicles.

The three-vehicle convoy reportedly included a vehicle belonging to an international agency as it proceeded into the airport’s private jet section.

Airport officials subsequently cordoned off the private wing of the facility. However, the television station later obtained video footage showing a medical evacuation aircraft and its crew preparing to transport the sick passenger.

The nature of the specialised medical evacuation reportedly raised suspicions that the woman was the index case of Ebola in Nigeria.