Bodies of Ebola victims cremated in Lagos

Bodies of the four Nigerians, who died of
Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, have been cremated in
line with World Health Organisation, WHO,
requirements for disposal of such corpses. The
body of the index (first) case, Patrick Sawyer was
the first to be cremated on July 25, 2014.
The decision to cremate the bodies, it was gathered,
may not be unconnected with the deadly nature of
the Ebola Virus which is known to be easily
transmissible from human to human during handling
of corpses of victims.
A health official at the Emergency Operation Centre,
EOC, of the Mainland Hospital, Lagos, who
confirmed the development, said the Lagos State
Government in following strict guidelines for
disposal of the bodies, authorised cremation of all
the bodies.
The official who pleaded anonymity said the
decision to cremate all bodies was to ensure
appropriate containment measures and guarantee
proper handling of the bodies.
“All the bodies of those who died of Ebola from this
centre have been cremated. None was allowed to
undergo traditional burial because extreme care is
being taken to prevent further infections,” the
official noted.
The WHO in recommending that people who die
from Ebola should be promptly and safely buried,
notes that cremation, which is the application of
high temperature to reduce bodies to basic
chemical components (ashes), is ideal for safe
disposal of bodies of such persons in order to
minimise further transmission.
In a statement weekend, the ECOWAS
Commission stated that the remains of its Protocol
Assistant at the Lagos Liaison Office, Mr. Salihu
Abdulqudir Jatto, who succumbed to the Ebola Virus
Disease, EVD, on August 12, 2014, had been laid to
rest in a private ceremony in Ikorodu, Lagos state.
The statement said a delegation from the
Commission had earlier paid a condolence visit to
the deceased’s widow and other members of his
family.
Jatto was among persons that assisted the
American-Liberian Mr. Patrick Sawyer, and
contracted the disease from the late Sawyer who
took ill on arrival in Nigeria on July 20, 2014 on his
way to a regional conference in Calabar, and later
died in a Lagos hospital of the EVD.
The statement noted that prior to the burial last
Friday, a special prayer service in honour of the
deceased was held at the Commission’s Abuja
Headquarters. The activity was presided over by
Vice President of the Commission Dr. Toga
Gayewea McIntosh who represented the President
of the Commission, Kadré Desire Ouédraogo.
Glowing tributes were paid in memory of Jatto, who
was variously described as a diligent, passionate,
humble and hardworking staff, who died a hero in
the course of duty.
Leading the other mourning colleagues in the
outpouring of grief, McIntosh described Jatto as “a
sharp, young, aggressive goal-getter and a
personal friend.
“We are all touched by his death, which is both a
personal and collectively loss,” McIntosh said,
praying for the repose of Jatto’s soul.
Head of Protocol at the Commission, Mr. Steve
Onwuka, narrated examples of Jatto’s unique
“unassuming, humble and infectious” character and
recalled that Jatto died at a time the world attention
was focused on the region, albeit for the Ebola
health emergency.
Others who spoke at the occasion, include Mr.
Hyacinth Okwu, of the Finance Directorate; Mr.
Franck Afanyiakossou, and Mr. Joshua Iyamu, a
member of the Staff Association, all acknowledged
Jatto’s legacy of service and exemplary character.
They appealed for improvement of the staff welfare
and asked for special care of Jatto’s wife and
children given the circumstance of his death.
Earlier, Mr. Saihou Njie, of the Human Resources
Directorate said the ceremony was part of the
traditional gestures of honour to a departed
colleague.