in Lagos State.
Time was when residents of Ikola-Agbenaje, in the Agbado Oke-Odo Local
Council Development Area, sat under the shade of trees and admired the
asymmetric flight of birds and bats across the skyline of their homes.
Then, the deadly Ebola Virus Disease was a distant dream, with many of
them not even knowing about its existence. But now, panic is a
permanent companion of the residents.
In the light of pockets of Ebola cases being recorded in Lagos, our
correspondent learnt that the presence of bats has thrown the remote
community into confusion. Fruit bats, chimpanzees and monkeys have
been fingered as possible hosts of the virulent virus.
The chain of infection, introduced to Nigeria by the Late
Liberian-American, Mr. Patrick Sawyer, who flew into Lagos on July 20,
has claimed one life and infected nine others in the country. More
than 900 people have also lost their lives to the disease since the
latest outbreak in West Africa. The development has set Lagos and,
indeed, the whole country on edge.
Worst hit is Samson Taiwo, a muddy street with a bridge linking it
with a forest said to be owned by a former President. In interviews
with our correspondent, residents express worries that the half-blind
animals do not just perch on fruits in their compounds, but also force
entry into their bedrooms where their faeces litter window sills.
Residents of the community are apprehensive that despite making
several calls to some of the telephone lines dedicated by the state
government to the EVD, nothing concrete has been done to what they see
as a time bomb.
An inhabitant, who has lived on the street for 12 years, Mr. Jonathan
Paul, has a tree he calls 'umbrella fruit tree' in his compound. He
says he has since stopped eating any of its fruits since the virus
became an issue.
"I stopped eating the fruits when I heard that the Ebola virus is in
Lagos. Bats are many here and they come around at night. They perch on
everything, especially the PHCN poles. I have never met them on the
fruit tree in my compound, but they certainly come here. I have not
seen them in the house. But I stopped eating the fruit and I told my
younger sister to stop eating it because we hear that bats spread the
virus.
"I really don't know what can be done. This area is surrounded by a
thick bush. If the government fumigates every house on the street, can
they possibly fumigate everywhere in Lagos? These bats will migrate
somewhere else,'' he submits.
However, another landlord on the street, Mr. Olufemi Olanrewaju, has a
more intimate encounter with the bats. Olanrewaju, who moved into his
duplex last year, describes horrific moments with the bats. While
showing our correspondent faeces and other droppings of the creatures
in his house, he claims to have killed not less than 10 bats in his
building since moving into the area.
"In fact, my ceiling fan killed one of them one day. They are shiny
black creatures and small in size. They can wriggle through small
openings and you may just open your bedroom and see them flying around
the space. There is no month that we will not kill a bat in the house.
My daughter cannot even sleep in our room again.
"I moved in here last year before the Ebola virus broke out in Lagos
and, in fact, the first time we saw a bat in the house we could not
sleep. I had to call my pastor to pray. Now that the Ebola virus is in
Lagos, we are much more concerned about their presence,'' he says.
The landlord adds that the only response he has got so far from
government has been a piece of advice.
His words, "I called one of the dedicated lines to the disease. It was
picked by one Mr. Ladipo talking from Victoria Island. He asked for my
name and age and promised they would come and fumigate the place. He
also said we are fine as long as we don't eat the bats. I didn't even
know that people eat bats.''
Contrary to the view of the agent of the Lagos State Government, the
EVD is a zoonotic disease - transferable from animals to humans.
Experts argue that it can be passed to humans if they eat fruits
touched by infected fruit bats or their droppings. This is the reason
why experts have relentlessly advocated for thorough washing of any
fruit with running water before consumption.
PUNCH
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