Second Case Of Ebola Announced In Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone officials confirmed a new case of Ebola on Thursday, making it the second new case since the country celebrated the end of the epidemic last week.

 

In response to the new outbreak, the country’s Ebola treatment centers have been re-opened. In addition, the screening systems put in place during the epidemic have been reinstituted.

The World Health Organization (WHO) stated that the new case involved the aunt of a 22-year-old woman who passed away on January 12.

The aunt was the primary caregiver for her niece during the latter’s illness, according to a WHO spokesman speaking to the media.

The patient developed symptoms on Wednesday, and has since been placed under quarantine, the WHO spokesman said.

Health workers have begun to identify anyone who had contact with the patient. The spokesman for Sierra Leone’s Health Ministry, Sidi Yahya Tunis, stated that they expected others to be infected.  The young woman, who passed away on January 12, was given an Islamic burial which means her body was washed by the mourners.

Therefore, according to the Sierra Leonean Health Ministry, it is more than likely that more infections will be reported. Mr. Tunis was hopeful that the infected could be effectively quarantined, and treated before the disease spread.

The new vaccine, VSV-EBOV is expected to be used in order to treat the patients. However, some health workers have resisted the use of the vaccine noting that the drug can cause other ailments.

Sierra Leone was declared Ebola-free on November 7 of last year.

Sporadic Gun Shots: Gunmen Invade Lawmaker's House

The residence of a lawmaker representing Toro/Jama’a constituency in the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Hon. Tukur Ibrahim has been attacked by gunmen, NAN reports.






The state’s police command’s spokesman, DSP Haruna Mohammed, who made this known to journalists, said the attack occurred at about 1.20am on Thursday, January 21.

According to him, the armed men who were five in number forced the main entrance of the house and started shooting sporadically “with the intention of either robbing or kidnapping their target.”
“On hearing the sound of gunshots, Police patrol team, led by DPO Toro Division, rushed to the scene and engaged the hoodlums in a fierce gun battle. The exchange of fire lasted for more than 20 minutes, after which they (hoodlums) were forced to abandon their mission and escape towards the mountainous hills,” he said.

The force spokesman said there were no casualties in the gun fight, adding that the police recovered one live and 16 expended 7.62mm ammunition from the scene.
Mohammed said efforts had been doubled to arrest the fleeing suspects.

Meanwhile, last week, gunmen stormed Zalau village of Lame District in Bauchi and kidnapped the 45-year-old wife of Hon. C. Nuhu, a lawmaker representing Lame constituency at the Bauchi House of Assembly.
Meanwhile, the former Ondo State House of Assembly Speaker Victor Olabimtan, who was recently abducted, has narrated his experience in Kidnappers den. Olabimtan who was held hostage for three days said he was forced to trek barefooted in the bush by his abductors.

Olabimtan was abducted on Sunday, January 10, at Kwali on his way to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), shortly after he declared his intention to rule Ondo state.

Buhari's anti-corruption campaign may lead to trouble - Fasehun

uption campaign may lead to trouble - Fasehun

Founder of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Frederick Fasehun, says Pres Buhari led government may run into trouble if they are not careful in their fight against corruption. Fasehun said this in an interview with Daily Independent.

“Look, I am appealing to those in power not to dig into some of these reported scams because it may unearth situations the government itself may not wish to unearth. With the way they are going, national leaders are being involved and a country boasts of its national leaders.
By the time you downgrade every national leader, you disgrace and embarrass them, and there will be no country to think of. I understand plea bargaining is going on, that is good enough”he sai.

Resident doctor dies of Lassa fever in OAU Teaching Hospital

An unidentified resident doctor at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC), Osun State, has died of Lassa Fever. According to the Chairman of the hospital's committee on Lassa Fever, Prof. Adedeji Onayade, the unidentified doctor died on Monday January 18th. The cause of his death was only confirmed yesterday January 20th after his blood sample was taken to the diagnostic center for test.

 "The resident doctor’s death on Monday at the hospital was caused by Lassa fever. The result of the first test carried out on the sample of the deceased tested positive and we have a report back and the result came as positive. We were supposed to do two tests, but the patient was dying when we took the first sample. We can’t do the second test now. So, we can say it is 50 per cent. But we are going ahead to take necessary steps. We have informed those who should know.”he said

Photos: 10 Pro-Biafran protesters arraigned in court half naked

Ten pro-Biafran protesters arrested between January 16-18 were on Wednesday Jan. 21st arraigned in court by the Rivers State Police Command. Onu Ifeanyi, Prince Onwazor, Princewill Anyanywu, Sunday Egbim and Uzoma Onyegbu, Chigozie Moses, Chukwudi Enyidau, Anthony Ochuel, Enam David Okon and Friady Nwahiri were arraigned at Magistrates’ Courts 7 and 14 in Port Harcourt on two-count charge of criminal conspiracy and treasonable felony.

Hearing on the cases was adjourned till Thursday, January 21, and 28 respectively while the presiding Magistrate ordered for the suspects to be remanded in prison custody.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer of Rivers Police Command, Ahmad Muhammad, the suspects were arrested while on their way to infiltrate Port Harcourt from neighbouring states with the intent to engage in a conduct likely to undermine public peace.

Muhammad warned that "the command will not stand idly and allow any person or group of persons to violate the laws of country by engaging in conducts that are perilous to public peace and order as well as the lives and properties of other law abiding citizens."

Buhari host and rewards victorious sports men and women

President Buhari hosted and rewarded Victorious Men and Women of Sports in Nigeria at the Statehouse Banquet Hall today January 21st. At the reception, Buhari rewarded World scrabble champion, Wellington Jighere with N1.5m while his coach got N1.2m & his team security got N450k reward. The Golden Eaglets got N1.2m each while their Coach got N900k and Assistant coach got N600k. Other Golden eaglet team officials got between N200, 000 to -300,000.

U-23 AFCON Champions and their coach were rewarded with N500,000 each.  Also rewarded was the 1985 squad that got N2m each while their coaches got N1.5m. The Next of kin of late Kingsley Akhionbare is to get his on behalf of the family.

Nigeria's National basketball team, D'tigers got N600k each while their Coach got N600k. The U16 female basketball team that won silver at the U16 FIBAAFRICA were rewarded with N600k each. Their coaches also got same amount while other officials got N150k.

Also rewarded were the Athletes at the IPC Asian open (powerlifting). The winner of the Gold medal got 600K, Silver 450k & coaches 450k. Officials N250K. See more photos below.

 

 

 

Zaria Massacre: IMN Mounts More Pressure To Free Zakzaky

Nigerian students under the aegis of the Academic forum of the Islamic movement in Nigeria (IMN) staged a peaceful protest at the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) headquarters, Abuja.

IMN students staging a protest in Abuja

On Tuesday January, 19 the IMN students staged a protest pressing for the unconditional release of Sheikh Zakzaky.
The well attended protest which lasted for over an hour has attracted protesters from different tertiary institutions around Nigeria comprising students, lecturers and other movers and shakers of the academia.

Shiites protest the continued detention of their leader.

ABNA reports that the protesters holding placards inscribed ‘Free Zakzaky Now’, ‘We demand the unconditional release of our leader’ and banners carrying the pictures, names, institutions and course of study of students killed by the Nigerian military in Zaria.

Mr Muhammad Bello Anyingba, a lecturer at Kogi state University, told journalists shortly after the protest that the purpose of the march was to demand the absolute release of Sheikh Zakzaky.
He further called on the Nigerian government to get the corpses of those killed for proper Islamic burial and free those in various military detention facilities.
In reply to allegations about the video clip aired by military, he said the video was edited to justify their inhumane acts.

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“American President Barack Obama was stoned somewhere and nobody was killed. Former Nigerian President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was pelted in Bauchi while canvassing for votes but nobody was killed,” the lecturer buttressed.

A statement signed by the Chairman of the Academic forum of the Islamic movement in Nigeria (AFIMN), Shu’aibu Isah Ahmad called on the Nigerian authorities to accept the atrocities in Zaria and compensate the families of those affected.

“We call on the government to summon courage and live up to its morality and accept its crime by paying compensation to all affected families and relations” the statement said.

The head of the commission, Prof Ben Agwe has promised to probe the Zaria massacre, inviting some members of movement on Wednesday, January 20 for an official address of the memorandum filed in last week.