Ebola: Cameroon closes borders with Nigeria, suspends Nigerian flights

Following the spread of the Ebola virus through out West Africa, Cameroon has closed its borders with Nigeria and suspended all flight to and from Nigeria.

Speaking yesterday on BBC Hausa service, the spokesman of Cameroon Foreign Affairs, Chiroumma Boukkari said the decision had become inevitable, because of the fears of the virus that was spreading rapidly across West Africa.

He said: “This decision on border closure and suspension of all flights to and from Nigeria was to protect the lives of Cameroonian citizens living within and outside from contracting ebola, as Nigeria, our main trading partner in Africa had been facing since July 20, 2014 when Patrick Sawyer sneaked into the country aboard a flight with the deadly virus.”

He however, noted that the border closure and suspension of flights to and from Nigeria was for a minimum of one month. He also advised Cameroonian citizens to take the closure of borders and flight suspension seriously in protecting their lives and property.

“The border closures with our main trading partner will be lifted, as soon as Nigeria contains the spread of the deadly viral disease. We also urge all border security agencies of the two countries to be vigilant by complying with this border closures made yesterday (Saturday) by the foreign office here in Ngaudore,” he said.

Cameroon, according to the Nigerian Immigration Service, has a border boundary of over 2, 000 kilometres in Borno, Adamawa, Taraba and Cross Rivers states.

The affected border outposts in Borno state include,  Kirawa, Duji, Mallam Fatori, Gamboru, Banki, Damba/Masara, Baga, Danbaure, Sigal and Jilbe, 145 kilometres northeast of Maiduguri, the state capital.