Nigeria Faces Ebola Scare, Bandit Attack and Political Tensions in Latest Developments

Oct 22 – Nigeria is confronting a convergence of crises, including a confirmed Ebola case in Abuja, a deadly bandit attack in Sokoto State and mounting political friction ahead of the 2027 presidential election, according to reports from Daily Post Nigeria published on Oct. 21 and Oct. 22.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that an Ebola patient in the Federal Capital Territory has deteriorated, with NCDC Director of Public Health Laboratory Service Olajumoke Babatunde telling an emergency meeting in Abuja that the patient, identified as a diplomat, has worsened, Daily Post Nigeria reported. The National Orientation Agency issued public advisories in at least two states, with the Borno State director, Michael Bdliya, urging residents in Maiduguri to remain calm and observe preventive measures, and the Jigawa State director, Mallam Ahmed Tijjani Ibrahim, making a similar appeal. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar separately raised alarm over the federal government's failure to account for a N10 billion fund approved for Ebola preparedness, with his spokesperson Phrank Shaibu saying the lapse exposed a dangerous breakdown in the government's response, according to Daily Post Nigeria.

In Sokoto State, bandits intercepted a vehicle carrying passengers returning from Sokoto city along the road to Isa Local Government Area and opened fire, killing all those inside, Daily Post Nigeria reported on Oct. 22. The exact number of casualties had not been confirmed at the time of reporting. The information was attributed to Bakatsine, a conflict reporter covering northwestern Nigeria. The attack underscores the persistent security threat posed by armed groups in the country's northwest.

On the political front, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, who is the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement for the 2027 election, called on President Bola Tinubu to stop what he described as unrealistic policies and projects that complicate the lives of Nigerians, Daily Post Nigeria reported. His campaign organisation, the Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation, went further, with Director of Strategic Communications Richard Ihediwa describing the Tinubu administration as a Pharaoh-like regime that has inflicted hardship on Nigerians. Adding to signs of internal strain within the ruling party, the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress said it was not formally informed about the inauguration of the state presidential campaign committee for Tinubu's re-election bid, with state chairman Tajudeen Lawal disclosing the development in a statement on Oct. 22.

In a separate governance matter, the Niger State Steering Committee of the Ward Development Project raised concerns over poor workmanship and delays following a three-day inspection of infrastructure across the state's three senatorial districts, Daily Post Nigeria reported on Oct. 21. Inspectors found at least one market store project in Mutun Daya, Shiroro Local Government Area, where construction had yet to begin. Meanwhile, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps arrested four suspects in Abuja in connection with the alleged vandalism and theft of armoured cables and electrical equipment during intelligence-led operations in the Abaji, Jahi and Bwari areas of the capital.