Confusion as passenger slumps, dies at MMA 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 our correspondent that the passenger slumped in front of the Port Health Services office on the ground floor, while waiting to collect his vaccination card, usually known as Yellow Card.

Some staff and passengers fled the scene following his collapse as they feared he was infected with the deadly Ebola Virus Disease.

His body was covered with an orange cloth and left unattended to by the office and the area was barricaded to forestall people from coming there, while people were redirected to take other routes.

Our correspondent gathered that the dead man was supposed to fly to Ghana for medical checkup when he suddenly collapsed at the airport and died.

It was also gathered that the passenger, who was of middle age may be of Igbo origin as 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 fears in the spine of passengers and other airport officials who 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.”