Author: Helen Okechukwu

Nigerian authorities have disclosed that three of their officers have been hospitalized due to gunshot wounds sustained following a gunfight with yet-to-be identified armed men in Abuja on Thursday. The incident was said to have occurred during a late-night raid in the Jahi area of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, according to Femi Babafemi, Director, Media & Advocacy of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), on Friday. The operatives, acting on intelligence and surveillance, had stormed an uncompleted building near the NNPC area in Jahi, where they recovered 74 bottles of codeine, 10 litres of codeine syrup, 48 grams…

The Anambra State Police Command has announced the arrest of a suspected 33-year-old male serial rapist, Chidiebere Mbene, for allegedly killing Nwokedi Somtochukwu, aged 15. The police spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga, shared this statement on Friday, stating that the murder took place at Unubi, Nnewi South Local Government Area (LGA), on 15 April 2025. Ikenga further disclosed that before fleeing the scene, the suspect forcefully had carnal knowledge of the deceased’s elder sister. On receiving the news of the suspect’s arrest, the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State (CP) Ikioye Orutugu, praised the Nnewi community at large for their collaboration, which led…

Nigeria’s Health Minister, Prof. Muhammad Pate, has pledged to collaborate with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) to improve and safeguard health sector data, in line with the 2023 Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA). The statement issued on Thursday noted that Prof. Pate made this declaration during a working visit led by the National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NDPC, Dr. Vincent Olatunji. While appreciating and expressing satisfaction with the work of the Commission, he shared the significance of introducing data protection to the National Council on Health to deepen data protection at the state level. The…

As mpox continues spreading across new regions, Africa CDC and WHO have updated their joint Continental Response Plan, intensifying efforts to control outbreaks, expand vaccination, and build a long-term, sustainable public health response. Mpox, a viral illness transmitted mainly through close contact, causes painful skin and mucosal lesions, fever, muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes. While historically a zoonotic disease, mpox has increasingly spread between people, especially following the emergence of the clade IIb and clade Ib variants in 2022 and late 2023, respectively. This led to the declaration of public health emergencies by Africa CDC and WHO in August…

Most of us don’t think twice about how we sleep — but your favorite sleep position could be doing serious, long-term damage. From heart strain to increased dementia risk, experts warn that the way you sleep might be quietly sabotaging your health. Despite its importance and essentiality to human, sleep posture remains an under-researched area. Most studies focus on aches and pains, but the risks go far deeper. “What you do in the day generally triggers the pain and discomfort that is felt when you sleep in certain positions,” says Dr. Kat Lederle, sleep scientist and author of Sleep Sense.…

Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has unveiled plans to distribute 10,000 health kits, including scrubs, to aid nurses and midwives across the South-West region as part of her Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI). Tinubu’s wife, Oluremi, on Thursday announced this during her visit to Akure, the state capital of Ondo State. While addressing the Ondo State Council of Obas, Mrs. Tinubu sought their collaboration to end key health problems such as genital mutilation, Hepatitis B, among other health issues affecting Nigerian women. She urged the royal fathers to support her advocacy in circulating the initiatives across their localities to end mother-to-child…

Gokana stakeholders have appealed to the Rivers State Police Command and Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (Rtd), to enable sustainable development and protect key national infrastructure within the LGA. The stakeholders made this call on Wednesday during an interactive session with the Commissioner of Police (CP) Olugbenga Adepoju and service chiefs, following a directive from Ibas. Gbere Kpakol, the youth leader, attributed the issue of pipeline vandalism to the lack of youth engagement and called for collaboration between paramount rulers and operating companies. He noted that despite Gokana hosting the largest manifold in the state, the majority of…

Seventeen-year-old teenager, Quadri Alabi, who gained wide attention by standing in front of Peter Obi’s convoy during the 2023 general election, has finally regained freedom after spending several months in Nigeria’s Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kirikiri, Lagos. Alabi was discharged after Magistrate Olorunfemi confirmed that the legal advice issued by Dr. Babajide Martins, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) at the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, showed that there was no evidence to substantiate the allegation of armed robbery against him. Inibehe Effiong, Alabi’s lawyer, in a signed document shared on X on Thursday, announced Alabi’s freedom while demanding that…

To curb the effect of fake drugs among patients, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued a public alert over the circulation of counterfeit Artemether/Lumefantrine tablets branded as Aflotin 20/120 in Nigerian markets. The agency issued a warning that the fake drug poses a serious threat to public health and could result in treatment failure, prolonged illness or death. In a statement released on its website recently, NAFDAC disclosed that the counterfeit product was identified and reported by Ajanta Pharma Limited, the main manufacturer based in Mumbai, India. According to the agency, the batch…

Women who experience early menopause—before the age of 40—face a significantly higher risk of cognitive decline compared to those who undergo menopause later in life, according to a new study led by a team of researchers. The study, published on Tuesday in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, was conducted by researchers from Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine and the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science. It aims to help clinicians better understand patients’ risks of developing dementia. The researchers launched the study to investigate the underlying factors contributing to the global rise in dementia cases…