West Africa: Liberia Soldiers Ordered to shoot Border Crossers as Cameroon Closes Borders with Nigeria over Ebola

By Staff Writer

Liberian troops are have received orders to shoot on sight persons who violate President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s mandate which has ordered closure of all borders as the Ebola virus spreads across the west African region.

According to the report the Deputy Chief of Staff gave troops a direct order saying he wants to hear that someone gets a bullet in the leg and that the soldiers first fire a warning shot and then burst their legs.

This comes few days after an Ebola quarantine centre was raided over the weekend by unknown people, causing 30 patients to flee into surrounding areas.

Some of the patients have already been tracked down, however, the incident has highlighted Liberia’s struggle with the Ebola outbreak.

So far the virus has killed 1 145 of the more than 2 000 people in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

Meanwhile, Cameroon has closed all its land, sea and air borders with Nigeria in a move to help prevent the spread of the Ebola virus, the government spokesperson said on Monday August 18.

"All borders, land, sea and air, between Cameroon and Nigeria are closed. Our thinking is that it is better to act preventively rather than have to heal later those who may fall ill, said Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who is Cameroon's communications minister.

No cases of Ebola have been recorded so far in Cameroon which shares a nearly 2 000km-long border with Nigeria, where the virus has claimed four lives with about a dozen people infected.

As the world scientist rush to find cure to the deadly Ebola virus, time is running out for West African governments as the peoples patience thins out, due to continued deaths and infections making everyone unsafe.