Author: Helen Okechukwu

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reaffirmed that vaccines do not cause autism, releasing new analysis that strengthens decades of scientific evidence while celebrating the transformative impact of global childhood immunisation. In its latest review, the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS) concluded that no causal link exists between vaccines and autism spectrum disorders (ASD), dispelling a persistent myth that has fuelled vaccine hesitancy around the world. The findings, discussed by the Committee on 27 November 2025, examined 31 high-quality studies conducted between 2010 and 2025 across multiple countries. Read Also: NCS elevates 13 senior officers; CGC urges mentorship, integrity…

A routine Thursday morning turned tragic in Port Harcourt the capital of Rivers State after a section of an ageing residential building gave way and crushed a mother of three to death on Nwachukwu Street, Mile 2 Diobu. The victim, Mrs Uwana Dennis, originally from Akwa Ibom State, was reportedly going about her activities at about 10:30 a.m. when the collapsing structure struck her with such force that neighbours said she stood no chance of survival. Witnesses described the scene as horrifying, noting that the impact from the falling debris left the woman severely injured. Read Also: Two-storey building collapses in…

Lagos State Permanent Secretary, Office of Internal Audit (OIA), Mrs Monsurat Alaka, has affirmed that internal auditors remain the backbone of institutional integrity in Lagos State. She stressed that public trust and government efficiency depend heavily on their commitment to accountability and professionalism. Speaking during her maiden meeting with auditors in the state public service, Mrs Alaka highlighted the central role auditors play in safeguarding public resources, ensuring compliance, and strengthening governance processes across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Read Also: Lagos not for ‘political apprentices’, APC tells ADC However, she emphasised that the work of internal auditors forms the foundation…

Lagos State has intensified efforts to curb rising drug experimentation among teenagers, launching a comprehensive sensitisation campaign for secondary school students and youths in Agege, following a recent study showing that 13.6% of students have tried drugs while 6.9% are active users. The two-day programme, organised by the Lagos State Interministerial Drug Abuse Control Committee (LSIDACC) in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), was held recently at the Oba Sanni Komolafe Youth Centre, Agege, according to the post shared on Thursday. With the theme, “Drugs/Substance Abuse and You: What Every Young Person Should Know,” the campaign sought…

Lagos State has announced firm measures to ensure that perpetrators of technology-facilitated sexual and gender-based violence face justice, unveiling a new policy framework designed to curb the growing wave of online abuse. The Lagos State Policy Framework on Technology-Facilitated Sexual and Gender-Based Violence was introduced on Wednesday at the Lagos Marriott Hotel, bringing together senior government officials, judicial officers, law enforcement authorities, technology regulators, civil society groups and youth organisations. While welcoming the participants, the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, Mrs Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, warned that harmful behaviour online was increasingly mirroring real-world risks. She…

The Founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, (ABUAD) Aare Afe Babalola, has appealed to wealthy Nigerians to channel more of their resources into strengthening the country’s education and health sectors, saying such investments are vital to national growth and the wellbeing of citizens. Babalola, who made the call while hosting a nine-member delegation of the Nigerian Medical Association led by the NMA First Vice President, Dr Benjamin Olowojebutu, said his university and the ABUAD Multi-System Hospital had continued to demonstrate how private initiatives could transform healthcare delivery, medical training, and reduce dependence on foreign treatment. Read Also: UK Govt ends…

Governor Fubara Siminalayi of Rivers State, has announced is defection from People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) This development was made known on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ meeting in Port Harcourt, the capital of of the state. This move followed after 17 lawmakers in the Rivers State House of Assembly (RSHA) defected to APC. Fubara joined Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori; Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno; Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah; and his Bayelsa counterpart, Duoye Siri, all of whom defected from the opposition PDP. Speaking at the meeting, the governor said, “We can’t support…

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has sounded a fresh warning to consumers following the widespread circulation of substandard and unregistered edible oils across the country. The agency, in a notice published on its X handle on Tuesday, said several brands of cooking oil currently being sold in major markets have neither undergone regulatory scrutiny nor met minimum safety requirements. It identified the products as FINO, PUR, OKI, SUPER DELICIEX and LA JONIC, noting that they are being smuggled into Nigeria and openly traded under various names. According to NAFDAC, the oils have flooded markets…

The Chairman of Emohua Local Government Area (LGA), Chidi Lloyd, has announced a N3 million reward aimed at tracking down the kidnappers of Rivers State University (RSU) students recently freed from abductors. Recall that New Daily Prime reported on 2 December, four students and a resident at Rumuche/Rumuohia Community, Emohua LGA of the state were abducted from their off-campus residence in Emohua. Following the manhunt, Rivers State Police Command on 4 December announced the release of the kidnapped victims. Read Also: Rivers police rescue five kidnapped varsity students In a statement issued on Monday, Lloyd said N2 million would be given…

Mali has reported its first confirmed case of mpox, with health authorities attributing the infection to a recent traveller from neighbouring Guinea. The World Health Organization (WHO), in its latest multi-country mpox situation update on Monday, said genomic sequencing is under way to determine the clade responsible for the infection. According to WHO, mpox is an illness that is cause by monkeypox and transmitted through people. The case marks Mali’s entry into the list of affected nations amid rising concerns over sustained transmission across Africa. Read Also: Stigma, myths threaten Africa’s Mpox response despite high vaccine demand – Africa CDC According…