People Flee As Passenger Slumps,Dies At Lagos Airport

There was confusion at the Arrival Hall
of the Murtala Muhammed
International Airport on Monday, as a
passenger slumped and died.
Sources at the airport told us 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.
Our correspondent gathered 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 also gathered that the passenger,
who was of middle age, may be of Ibo
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.”