By Sopuruchukwu Nnaji
Mixed reactions have followed the Federal Government’s confirmation of a fresh Ebola case in Abuja linked to East Africa, with many Nigerians expressing distrust over the timing of the announcement on social media.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the Minister of Health, Muhammad Ali Pate, on Tuesday confirmed that a female patient who recently arrived from Uganda had tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. According to the minister, the patient is currently in isolation and receiving care, while 44 contacts have been identified and are being monitored.
While the government has assured Nigerians that there is no cause for panic, citing the country’s successful containment of Ebola in 2014, the announcement has sparked heated conversations online.
On TikTok, the dominant narrative in the comment sections has been political, with many users claiming that the timing of the outbreak is suspicious because of the approaching 2027 general elections.
Several comments alleged that the government was looking for a reason to impose another lockdown, keep citizens indoors and reduce the number of voters who would turn out on election day.
Some of the viral comments read, “Whenever there is election, boom Ebola,” and “They want to lock us at home again so we won’t vote.”
Other users questioned what game President Bola Tinubu was playing, with one commenting, “Which game Tinubu wan play now 😂” while another said, “Abeg make una no start ooo. Election must hold next year oooo.” Another user wrote, “We don wise o,” while a comment from a Ugandan user read, “we Ugandans we are very much okey and healthy please don’t involve us into your problems.”
On Facebook, the reactions took a different turn, with many users turning the health scare into political jabs at the current administration.
A common phrase repeated in several comment sections is “We are afraid of Bola not Ebola,” with commenters clarifying that “Bola” refers to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The users said the hardship in the country was a greater source of fear for them than the virus itself.
Other Facebook users said they wanted the Ebola outbreak to start in Aso Rock before they would believe the government. One commenter wrote, “Make the Ebola start from Aso Rock then we go believe Una,” while another described the situation as a “New format to syphon national treasure.”
Another commenter stated, “I don’t think that Ebola is more dangerous than bola,” while another added, “Una don start another cruise or season drama abi? Make una continue, you hear?”
The report has also drawn strong reactions from Ugandans, who have flooded Nigerian news pages to defend their country.
Ugandan commenters have posed rhetorical questions in the comment sections, including, “So Uganda is now an exporter of Ebola?” and “How can the victim get it from our country when there is no Ebola in our country?”
Others have appealed to Nigerian authorities to remove Uganda from the report, arguing that the claim is false and is already having negative consequences for Ugandans. According to some commenters, the report is costing Ugandans jobs and other opportunities abroad because of the stigma associated with the outbreak.
The NCDC has maintained that its 24-hour emergency line, 6232, remains active. It has urged the public to report suspected cases promptly and avoid spreading unverified information
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