Author: Helen Okechukwu

The 2-year-old boy, Chris, who survived the fire outbreak after his six-month-old brother was burnt to death at their apartment, has been pronounced dead by his father, Mr. Saviour Moses. Recalled that on 14 January New Daily Prime reported that the fire, which started by 7 am, engulfed two of the seven units of the self-contained apartment at Rumuworlu Street, Eneka, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State on January 13. The 2-year-old Chris and his mother were rushed to University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) for medical care. For Chris, who was the only surviving child, it was…

To tackle irregular practices in government primary schools, the Delta State Government has sanctioned five teachers over alleged levy extortion on pupils. Through the State Ministry of Information, the Permanent Secretary, Theresa Adiabua-Oliko, in signed documents dated 31 January, made this known. This came shortly after an investigation and on-site visitation by the Commissioner for Primary Education, Dr. Kingsley Ashibogwu. It was noted that head teachers had charged pupils illegally for 2025 Cognitive and Placement Examination. Read Also: FCT Primary School Teachers Begin Indefinite Strike Over Unmet Demands The following are the affected schools: Asamala Primary School, Ugiliamai (Ndokwa West…

The Ondo State Government has urged striking nurses in public healthcare facilities in the state to return to work as there was no basis for their industrial action. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) in the state, on Thursday, after an emergency meeting directed its members to commence an indefinite strike at 12:00a.m. on Jan. 31. A statement issued and signed by association’s chairman and secretary, Felix Orobode and Lucky Aremu, respectively directed its members to stay off duty until their demands are met by the state government. The…

The Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Dr. Temitope Ilori, has announced plans to commence the local production of HIV test kits and antiretroviral (ARV) drugs in Nigeria. According to Dr. Ilori, the initiative is expected to begin before the end of 2025 as part of the government’s strategy to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2030. She made this known on Friday during the inauguration of the Kwara Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) and Paediatric ART Acceleration Committee in Ilorin. Dr. Ilori highlighted several key measures aimed at strengthening HIV response efforts. These include…

Niger has successfully become the first African country and the fifth globally to be declared free from onchocerciasis, a deadly parasitic disease known as river blindness. Onchocerca volvulus is the parasite that causes river blindness and is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected black fly, mainly found near rivers. Marking a significant breakthrough, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, World Health Organisation Director-General, on Thursday congratulated the nation for its tireless dedication in attaining this milestone. “I congratulate Niger for its commitment to liberating its population from this blinding, stigmatizing illness that causes so much human suffering among the…

To control the spread of the recent Ebola outbreak in Uganda, the World Health Organisation pledges to support the national health authorities of Uganda with $1 million from its Contingency Fund to accelerate early action. This was contained in a document made available on their website on Thursday, following its confirmation of the outbreak. In its effort to bring the virus under control, WHO noted that senior public health experts will be deployed to work with mobilised country office staff. Among its responses to tackle this surge are the supplies of medical equipment and personal protective gear, which are to…

In tackling the issue of child trafficking in the country, the Rivers State Police Command says its team has apprehended two suspects, Ugochukwu Onyebuchi and Ogechi Nmezi, for an alleged child trafficking deal. The command spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, made this known in a document made available to journalists on Wednesday, acknowledging that the two female suspects were arrested on 24 January. Iringe-Koko revealed the suspects allegedly conspired to defraud two female victims named Juliet Blossom and Esther Michael under the disguise of facilitating baby adoptions. Meanwhile, in the past, the suspects was said to have, “lured one Gift Chimanu, the…

After the abduction of five residents and a family in Abuja by bandits, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command says it has launched a rescue operation for the victims. The attack occurred on Sunday at around 11 p.m. when an armed group numbering 20 arrived at the Health Centre extension area of Chikakore, a community in Kubwa, FCT. The victims whose homes were targeted and abducted include a resident named Adesiyan Akinropo, his wife, his son, a visitor, and a neighbour. The Hope Newspaper reported that a victim who sustained a head injury after she was struck with the…

A swift response by vigilant community members at Artillery Junction in Port Harcourt led to the arrest of a minibus driver, Kelechi accused of collaborating with armed robbers to rob passengers. One chance drivers’ is a popular Nigerian slang commonly used for commercial vehicle robbers who usually disguise as commercial drivers The incident unfolded late Sunday night when two women raised an alarm, claiming they had been attacked by a group of robbers working in conjunction with the driver. The women, who had fled the scene of the robbery, spotted the driver at a nearby fuel station and alerted bystanders.…

The Rivers State Police Command, through the operatives from the Hawk Unit, has announced the arrest of a suspected group of criminals at Blessing Street, Kom-Kom, in the Oyigbo Local Government Area. The spokesperson of Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, on Monday in a document shared with journalists, said this arrest came following a successful raid at their hideouts on 25 January. The Iringe-Koko highlighted that under the leadership of Commissioner of Police (CP) Olugbenga Adepoju, the force has witnessed significant results in two separate operations conducted as the fight against crime continues. The suspects are Peter Victor, aged 38, a native…