Ebola: Officials Say Prison Inmates To Stay Free

Officials of the Nigeria Prisons Service have promised to ensure that inmates in the nation’s prisons, who are awaiting trial, stay free of the Ebola Virus Disease.

The Deputy Comptroller of the Service in charge of administration, Dr Peter Ekpendu, who spoke at a meeting in Abuja on Tuesday called for the improvement of sanitary conditions in all prisons.

He said that allowing the disease amongst the inmates would be a serious threat to the nation at large.

The drive towards containing the spread of the Ebola virus disease amongst over 65 per cent of inmates awaiting trial is the reason behind the meeting.

Since the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria in July, brought in by a Liberian-American, Mr Patrick Sawyer, the government has stressed the need for more awareness to promote good hygiene amongst Nigerians.

Mr Sawyer died on July 25.

Since the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease early this year, at least 1,427 persons have died from the virus, which the World Health Organization has declared an international emergency on.

As the Federal Government, experts and private institutions have continued to discuss how to contain the spread of the Ebola disease, they believe that the nation’s prisons must be on red alert to check any occurrence.

No doubt, the nation’s prisons have become congested,creating room for easy spread of diseases amongst the inmates. But government officials say safeguarding the human rights of Nigerians cannot take place where the health of its people is at stake.