ABUJA – 15-year-old Medicine undergraduate of Bingham University, Nasarawa State, Temi Ilesanmi has died after she allegedly got infected with the Ebola Virus from a monkey belonging to a neighbour at her parent’s residence at Apo Legislative Quarters, Abuja.
The distraught father of the deceased, Mr. Olu Ilesanmi, a former Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Finance, in a telephone correspondence described his late daughter as the star of the family.
“In her WAEC examination last year, she made 6 As and 3 Bs. She was the star of the family – bold, brilliant and beautiful! If I live a thousand years, daddy will cry for her every single say,” he said.
Information gathered says that trouble started early this month when the late Temi became afflicted with a strange kind of fever that defied treatment at the Federal Staff Hospital, Garki Hospital and National Hospital, all in Abuja.
The deceased who was secreting blood from her nose and mouth as well as on her phlegm when she coughs or sneezes was later referred to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, Abuja, where doctors diagnosed Ebola Haemorrhage Fever and she was later transferred to Irrua Specialist Hospital in Edo State.
After the deceased’s death doctors queried if the deceased had been to the zoo recently or had come in contact with animals such as monkeys and were informed that a neighbour at her residence had a monkey as pet.
Apparently she has been in contact with their neigbhours pet monkey.
The parents took action immediately by writting to the Abuja Environmental protection Board (AEPB), requesting that the monkey which may not have been immunised be removed from the neighbourhood to prevent further spread of the virus.
The family source said to the dismay of all, the neighbour, a woman, whose name was yet to be ascertained, resisted every attempt made by AEPB officials to serve an abatement notice on the residence even as she put up stiff resistance when at the expiration of the abatement notice, the officials came to the house to remove the animal.
All attempt would be made to see that the AEPB Act does not prohibit residents from keeping pets but was against a situation where the pets constitute a nuisance in the environment.
“The AEPB Act 1997, Section 20, Sub 1(b) stipulates that any person who rears or keeps animals like birds likely to cause environmental nuisance such as offensive odour, noise or neglect or fails to confine the animals or birds to his premises is guilty of an offense and liable on conviction to a fine not less than N5, 000 or imprisonment for a term of three months or both fine or imprisonment as the court may deem fit.”
“The interpretation of this act as you can see is not against keeping of pets but just to ensure that such pets do not become a nuisance along the line maybe creating offensive odour or making noise. However, the necessary things must be done like the vaccination, with a certificate by the veterinary department.”
When the suspected owners of the monkey was visited at No 33, Adekunle Lawal Close, Zone D, Apo Legislative Quarters Abuja,the house appeared to be deserted as several knocks at the gate were not responded to.