Breaking News:FG Finally Meets With Boko Haram Representatives In Chad

The Principal Private Secretary to the President, Ambassador Hassan Tukur, has met with Chadian Government officials as well as representatives of the Boko Haram sect in N’Djamena, Chad, in an effort to secure the release of the 219 Chibok girls abducted by Boko Haram.
The President’s Principal Private Secretary was speaking on the Voice of America Hausa service. The Boko Haram sect was represented by Danladi Ahmadu at the meeting, which has also been independently confirmed by Channels Television. Reports say talks of a cease fire has been achieved while other areas that were discussed are the location and health condition of the girls, those they want to swap with the girls, where Shekau is and more. 

The meeting is to continue next week.

Source: Channels Television

Stephen Keshi sacked as Amodu takes over again

Nigeria on Thursday sacked Stephen Keshi as national team coach, despite his side's home win against Sudan that kept them in the running to defend their African title. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) said after an emergency meeting that former coach Shuaibu Amodu would take temporary charge before a foreign manager is appointed. The Super Eagles were rock bottom of Group A in qualifying for next year's CAF Africa Cup of Nations after taking just one point from their opening three matches but a 3-1 win against Sudan in Abuja on Wednesday lifted them to third. Speculation about 52-year-old Keshi's future has refused to go away since the end of the FIFA World Cup™ finals in Brazil, where Nigeria reached the knock-out stages of the competition. Keshi's three-year deal ran out after the return from South America and his record of five defeats, five draws and just one victory in the last 11 matches has only compounded dissatisfaction and led to calls for him to quit. In a statement, the NFF said Keshi and his coaching staff had led Nigeria to "glorious accomplishments" in the last three years and called the coach and his assistants "true national heroes". "However, in the interest of Nigeria football and the desire to ensure qualification for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations finals, the (executive) committee decided to relieve

them of their duties with immediate effect," it added. Amodu returns again Unanimous approval was given for a consortium of coaches, led by Amodu, to lead Nigeria in their remaining qualifying matches against Congo and South Africa "after which an expatriate coach will be appointed". Amodu's re-appointment comes four years after he was sacked and stopped from leading the country to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. This will be his fifth stint with the Eagles having first taken charge of the team in 1994. The 56-year-old will be assisted by El Kanemi Warriors coach Salisu Yusuf, who worked under Samson Siasia both with the Flying Eagles and Super Eagles, and Gbenga Ogunbote of Sharks. Their immediate task is to secure a win against Congo in Pointe Noire to stay in the reckoning for a place at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco in January. Nigeria have four points from as many matches while Congo are second on seven points. Group leaders South Africa travel to Nigeria for the final qualifying game next month.

54th Independence Day Speech by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Gcfr.

2014 Independence Day Broadcast by His Excellency, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR Wednesday 1st October, 2014 Fellow Nigerians:
1. Today marks the 54th anniversary of our country’s independence as a sovereign nation. This is also the tenth month of our journey into a new century, having marked the centenary of our nation in January this year.
2. The first one hundred years were marked by triumphs and tribulations, benefits and burdens, opportunities and challenges. We made some far reaching advances in building a strong, united and prosperous nation. We also overcame the forces of disunity that culminated in a debilitating civil war. We have also renewed our faith in one another, and in our country. We have proven that we are truly a resilient nation.
3. In my address to the nation last year, I did emphasize that we were in a sober moment in our country. We are still in that mood in spite of the many accomplishments of our administration. Our sombreness has to do with the crises of nationhood occasioned by the activities of terrorist elements who have done the unimaginable to challenge our unity as a people.
4. On an occasion like this, it is important that we remember all the precious souls that have been lost in the unprecedented war of terror unleashed on some parts of our country by these individuals who want to compel us to live our lives their way. They will not succeed!
5. In their mission, they have maimed and raped. They have killed men, women and children, rendering many children orphans and several women widows.
6. They have made violence their ideology and are bent on destroying our country. Dear countrymen and women, we will not allow them.
7. Night after night, day after day, our security forces continue to engage the terrorists in battle. My gratitude goes out to our armed forces whose will has been greatly challenged by this insurgency more than any other time, since the civil war.
8. Yet, they have remained undaunted and unwearied in the face of constant challenge and mortal danger. Driven by patriotic zeal, they are turning the tide by their prowess and determination. As Commander-in-Chief, I will continue to do all it takes to enable them to keep on inflicting devastating blows at the heart of terror. Fellow Nigerians, it is our collective duty as patriots to avail our men and women in uniform of all the support they need to fight and win this war.
9. This Administration is committed to making Nigeria safe for all Nigerians, irrespective of our places of birth, how we worship God and our political persuasion. To all those waging war against our country, I ask that you lay down your arms and embrace peace.
10. To those who have genuine grievances, I affirm that Nigeria will listen to you, if you bring your grievances to the table of dialogue. To the good people of Nigeria, let me restate that our task of building a better and greater country must not waver.
11. While we continue to deploy our resources in the fight against the terrorists, we do recognize the great toll the conflict is taking on our people.
12. This is why, to assist the afflicted, we have launched the Victims Support Fund, an independent multi-sectoral charity, which will aggressively solicit resources to augment Government’s statutory intervention, in bringing succour to the injured, the displaced and the bereaved.
13. In partnership with Nigerian business leaders and international partners, we have also introduced the Safe Schools Initiative which is aimed at promoting safe environments for education nationwide, starting with the North East region.
14. The Presidential Initiative for the North East, a comprehensive programme to fast-track the economic restoration of this region, which has been the epicentre of terrorist activity, has been set up.
15. Our overall objective is to do all we possibly can, to sustain in the North-East, the momentum of economic advancement, which is on-going in other parts of the country, despite the machinations of the terrorists and their sponsors.
16. It should now be clear to anyone who was ever in doubt that these terrorists do not mean well for anyone, of whatever religion or dispensation. Their persistent choice of the weakest and most vulnerable in society, for gruesome attack, provides an insight into their abnormal mind-set.
17. I urge every Nigerian to put aside political, sectional or other parochial considerations, and support whole- heartedly the efforts of the government and the military, in checking this evil.
18. We are grateful to the international community, and especially our neighbours who are working closely with us in confronting this challenge, for their increased partnership and solidarity. Our steady progress in weakening the insurgency has certainly justified our cooperation.
19. Fellow Nigerians, in my independence anniversary address last year, I informed you that we had taken cognizance of the suggestion over the years by well- meaning Nigerians on the need to focus attention on rebuilding and strengthening the ligaments of our union. It was in that regard that we announced the convening of a National Dialogue on the future of our beloved country.
20. We have successfully delivered on that promise as we established the 2014 National Conference headed by Justice Legbo Kutigi. After months of deliberations, which did not come without its challenges, the conference concluded its assignment and has handed its Report to me.
21. I have made a firm commitment that we would act on the recommendations of the conference. This, I have started by setting up the Ministerial Committee headed by the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation to work out the modalities for implementing the Report. Every promise I make, God willing, I will see to its fulfilment. I assure you, we shall implement the report.
22. One major lesson which the 2014 National Conference has taught us as a country is that, a multi-ethnic country like ours, must learn to embrace painstaking dialogue until consensus is established.
23. To me, the National Conference is the greatest centenary gift to our country that we must cherish and sustain.
24. Fellow Nigerians, our 54 year-journey as a nation has not been easy. There have been tough periods, but the Nigerian spirit and the unflagging resilience of our people have seen us through. We will continue to march forward to greater heights.
25. We have been able to sustain a big, strong and influential country with a robust economy. We are currently in our sixteenth year of uninterrupted democratic rule, daily improving on the consolidation of our democratic process.
26. Our Administration has made a commitment to ensure that we build and sustain a democratic infrastructure anchored on free and fair elections. International and local observers have attested to the positive evolution of electoral credibility and we cannot afford to relent.
27. We will continue to ensure that the will of the electorate prevails so that political leaders would be reminded at all times that there is a day of reckoning when they have to go back to the people at the polls. Election days must not be days of violence and death. We must remain vigilant to ensure that our electoral process is characterised by peace, security and transparency.
28. I enjoin the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), all security agencies, politicians and the electorate to work conscientiously and peacefully, together, to consolidate on the gains of the recent elections. Free and fair elections have come to stay; nothing else will be acceptable to our people.
29. My dear countrymen and women, occasions such as this present an opportunity to thank God for our country and to report to you, on our journey so far.
30. Our power sector reform is on course with the ultimate objective of generating enough electricity to power our homes, industries and businesses. We are making giant strides in the Agricultural Sector which we are re- positioning to diversify our economy. We will continue to upgrade our infrastructure to make life easier for all and create an enabling environment for enterprise to flourish.
31. Over the last four years, the implementation of the Nigerian Content Act in the Oil and Gas Sector has ensured major increase in the participation of indigenous Oil and Gas companies in the industry. Several critical infrastructure projects have been commissioned and commenced. The level of indigenous asset ownership has greatly increased and utilisation of Nigerian-owned and built assets such as marine vessels and rigs is being progressively enforced.
32. There has been maximised local value addition by encouraging the manufacture of equipment components and parts within the country. There has also been massive growth in indigenous participation in the provision of goods and services to the upstream sector from 10% to 60% within the last four years.
33. Today, following the rebasing of our economy, every international monitoring and ratings agency now acknowledges Nigeria as the largest economy in Africa, with a Gross Domestic Product of five hundred and ten billion dollars ($510 billion) which also places us as the 26th largest economy in the world. This is progress.
34. Earlier in the year, we launched the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) and the National Enterprise Development Programme (NEDEP) with the stated objective of fast tracking inclusive growth, job creation, enterprise development and industrialisation.
35. The success of these policies is already evident in the increased value addition in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors.
36. In line with our objective of encouraging the production of made-in-Nigeria vehicles and making Nigeria a regional hub for the automobile industry, a number of foreign auto manufacturers have established plants in Nigeria, complementing the laudable efforts of our local vehicle manufacturers who have also demonstrated great innovation and competitiveness.
37. We have also launched a special support programme for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises with an initial intervention fund of two hundred and twenty billion naira (N220 b). This is in addition to the Presidential Job Creation Board which I inaugurated recently with the charge to create three million jobs annually.
38. In demonstration of our Administration’s commitment to addressing Nigeria’s housing deficit, we have commenced the new mortgage re-finance programme with the establishment of the Nigerian Mortgage Re-finance Company. It is expected that, in addition to creating additional housing units across the country, this initiative also represents a huge job creation opportunity.
39. We have recorded notable success in the social sector. Nigeria has been globally acknowledged for reducing extreme hunger by more than half, with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) formally presenting the country with an award for achieving the Millennium Development Goal on Hunger three years ahead of the 2015 target date set for the Millennium Development Goals.
40. This progress is as a result of the deliberate policy of government to increase capacity in our agricultural sector of which the first step was to address and eliminate the graft in our fertilizer procurement system and ensure that the product gets directly to the farmer. We are expanding our irrigation infrastructure to ensure that our farmers have sufficient water supply for dry season farming.
41. A benefit of these combined actions is that our national food import bill has declined from 1.1 trillion naira (6.9 billion dollars) in 2009 to 684.7 billion naira (4.35 billion dollars) by December 2013, and continues to decline.
42. Modern hybrid schools are being provided for less privileged children across the country, resulting in significant increase in the national school enrolment figure.
43. In order to further enhance access to education at the tertiary level, fourteen new Federal Universities have been established; and, to encourage persons of exceptional abilities, our Administration has also introduced a Presidential Scholarship Scheme based strictly on excellence and merit.
44. On infrastructure, we are building roads, bridges, and new rail lines to make it easier to traverse Nigeria and increase the integration of our people and our ability to do business with each other. In this regard, we have commenced the process of building the Second Niger Bridge. The Loko-Oweto Bridge over River Benue in Nasarawa and Benue States, will significantly reduce travel time by road between Northern and Southern Nigeria. The on-going dredging of the River Niger up to Baro in Niger State is opening up large parts of the Nigerian hinterland to maritime activity.
45. The Zungeru and Mambilla Hydro-electric power projects are on course, and the Kashimbilla dam which we started a few years ago, is nearing completion. The successful privatisation of our power sector will in the long run enhance industrial growth. Policies such as this and others have raised Nigeria to the enviable status of being the number one recipient of Foreign Direct Investment in Africa in the past year.
46. The result of this infrastructure drive is that two and a half million jobs have been created over the past two years. This is a record, which we are committed to improve upon to continue to provide jobs for our youth.
47. An unprecedented number of Airports across the country, are not only being reconstructed at the same time, but being re-equipped and reassessed with emphasis on maintaining global standards.
48. Fellow Nigerians, the goals we set to achieve for our country involve expanding the frontiers of economic freedom. Let us therefore unite with one heart and one mind. All our people must have access to the good things of life. All our people must be empowered to pursue the gift of life with happiness. This is our country; we must build it for our common posterity.
49. As we move into an election year, desperate moves to overheat the polity are becoming a regular occurrence. Our political leaders in particular must know that the contest for power should not translate to the destruction of the polity.
50. The contest for the leadership of our country must yield good governance, and not ungovernable spaces. The love of country should rank higher than our individual ambitions.
51. We must remain committed to a united and indivisible Nigeria within democratic parameters. The protection of individual rights, liberty, equality before the law, freedom of thought, and a progressive pursuit of a sound economy must be our goal.
52. I cannot end this address without commenting on the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) which was sadly brought into our country recently. My directives to the Federal Ministry of Health saw the ministry leading the charge in curtailing the spread of this deadly scourge and managing its impact. This is how it should be: swift, effective and comprehensive action in defence of citizens.
53. It must be pointed out that the Ebola battle is still raging elsewhere in our sub-region. I therefore enjoin all our citizens to continue to adhere strictly to all the guidelines that have been given by our health officials to keep Ebola out of our country.
54. I appreciate and welcome the spirit of collaboration, unity and partnership with which we confronted the threat of the Ebola Virus Disease. I thank all Nigerians for working together to prevent what could have become a major epidemic. I particularly thank the medical personnel, some of whom made the ultimate sacrifice.
55. This is the spirit which we must demonstrate at all times as we face up to our challenges as a nation: one people, united by a common resolve, in the pursuit of one common national interest.
56. As we look forward to another year in our national life, I am more than confident that our tomorrow will be better than our yesterday and today. Nigeria has got the human and material resources to excel and we shall lead the way in that journey to our manifest destiny.
57. Fellow countrymen, brothers and sisters, in all our plans, and in all our words and our actions, we must stand together in love and unity, as one people under God.
58. We are one people from the womb of one Nigeria. We are brothers and sisters. We are one family. We are Nigerians.
59. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Crisis rock in Ado-Ekiti

Following the killing of the former chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Ekiti State Mr. Omolafe Aderiye yesterday night at a close range, Members of NURTW has taking over the state distrupting activities causing crisis this morning leading to the burning of properties including that of the opposition party secretariat building of APC situated at Ajilosun area of Ado-Ekiti.

Mr. Aderiye, a strong supporter of Governor-elect, Ayodele Fayose was part of Mr. Fayose’s team that attacked a state high court judge on monday and earlier that same day he was shut. As a result of the second attack on the court, the Chief Judge in State Justice Ayo Daramola has shut down indefinitely all court proceedings.

Nigeria Government defends $9.3m cash seized in S-Africa, releases data on transaction

Federal Government yesterday opened diplomatic discussions with South African authorities on the seizure of $9.3m illegally imported by two Nigerians and an Israeli citizen to purchase arms on behalf of Nigerian security services. The Nigerian government insisted that the deal was legal. This is just as National President of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, whose private jet, a Bombadier Challenger 600 marked N808HG, was used to convey the money has denied any involvement in the alleged deal. It was gathered that the Federal Government has released data and documents on the transaction process to South Africa, thereby confirming that the entire operation involving the aircraft was ‘genuine’.

We further learnt that as a result of the preliminary diplomatic talks which were convincing to the South African authorities, the private jet may have been released to the Nigerian government pending the conclusion of a comprehensive investigation by South Africa. According to findings, the Bi-Focal diplomatic talks with South Africa were both at governmental level and exchanges by intelligence services of the two nations. Sources said the diplomacy also covered sharing of vital security information to prove that the deal was necessary. It was gathered that the South African Government only faulted “non- declaration” of the cash by the delegation from Nigeria. The source said: “Nigeria and South Africa are getting closer to diplomatic resolution of the row over the $9.3m transaction. The two nations have opened discussions. “The Federal Government has submitted relevant data and documents on the transaction to South Africa and insisted that the transaction was legitimate. “It also clarified that the funds were neither laundered nor smuggled for any covert manoeuvres. No launderer will be audacious to fly into a country in a chartered jet with such huge cash. “The technical details on security matters, which necessitated the deal had been availed South Africa for screening. “Based on initial scrutiny of the documents, the Challenger Jet has been released pending conclusion of a full-scale investigation by South Africa.” Asked why South Africa impounded the cash, the source added: “There was procedural error at the airport, the team did not declare the $9.3million contrary to the aviation and Customs laws of South Africa. So, there was an oversight on the part of the delegation that went to complete the transaction. “Nigeria is trying to complete the formality and we are confident that the cash will be released for the purpose it was meant for.” The source added that, “Movement of cash for strategic purchase of security equipment by intelligence services is not new; it is a global trend. The FBI, KGB, MOSSAD and others do it.” I have no hand in arms deal—Oritsejafor Meanwhile, the National President of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, whose private jet, a Bombadier Challenger 600 marked N808HG, was used to smuggle $9.3m into South Africa for alleged purchase of arms for the security services has denied any involvement in the alleged deal. Denying any involvement in the use of the aircraft to smuggle money into South Africa, Pastor Oritsejafor in a statement yesterday, said the private jet has been on lease to another company, Green Coast Produce Limited since August 2 this year. The statement signed by one Bayo Adewoye on behalf of Pastor Oritsejafor said, “the Word of Life Bible Church has been made aware of the recent media interest regarding an aircraft (Bombardier Challenger 600, Registration No N808HG) owned by Eagle Air Company in which our Pastor, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, holds a residual interest. On behalf of Pastor Oritsejafor, we can confirm that although he holds an interest in Eagle Air, the aircraft in question is not operated by Pastor Oritsejafor. The aircraft owned by Eagle Air Company, has confirmed that since 2nd August 2014, the aircraft has been leased to and is operated by Green Coast Produce Limited. This is a standard practice in the industry. Any and all enquiries in respect of the day-to-day operations of this aircraft are properly directed to the management of Green Coast Produce Limited. A separate statement issued by Eagle Air Company signed by Mr Emmanuel Ohaeri also directed all enquiries in respect of the day-to-day operations of the aircraft to the management of Green Coast Produce Limited. How plane was chartered, by Green Coast Produce In its own response, Green Coast Produce Company Limited, in a statement signed by Dr Shima Adun said, “A Bombardier Challenger 600 aircraft Registration No N808HG was leased to us, Green Coast Produce Company Limited, on the 2nd of August 2014. We have since that time been running and managing charter services with the aircraft in accordance and compliance with global best practices. On the 5th of September 2014 the aircraft was hired from us by a John Ishyaku. The charter to John Ishyaku was upon the following documented terms: *Depart Abuja-Johannesburg on the 5th of September 2014; *Return to Abuja on the 6th of September 2014; *To wait and return with the passengers. “The said terms are normative within the industry. “As with every other aircraft charter company, our knowledge of the cargo carried on the aircraft was in accordance with the information provided by ABC Limited. All cargo were accompanied by passengers who could readily defend the contents. We are not and can not be privy to any alleged extraneous cargo transported on the aircraft other than that declared in the agreed terms of hire. We are not liable and cannot be construed as a party to any alleged infractions, either in Nigeria or South Africa as the case may be, after the hire of the aircraft. “We issue this statement without prejudice to any statutory or commissioned investigation being conducted or to be conducted in South Africa or Nigeria. Plane left Abuja Sept 5 According to reports, the jet departed Abuja on Sept 5th and when it arrived South Africa, Customs officers became suspicious when the passengers’ luggage was unloaded and put through the scanners. The officers then investigated and found three suitcases full of cash. The passengers then told Custom officials that they were acting on behalf of the Nigerian intelligence service and provided documentation confirming they had come to South Africa to buy weapons for the Nigerian Security Services. Spokesperson of the South African Revenue Service (SARS), Marika Muller in a statement said the money was seized at Lanseria airport, north-west of Johannesburg. The statement said “the passengers’ luggage was searched after Customs officials detected irregularities. The money was detained as it was undisclosed/undeclared and above the prescribed legal limit”. The funds are being held at the central bank as police investigate, SARS spokeswoman, Marika Muller said. Also, South African airport security spokesman Solomon Makgale confirmed that a police investigation was going on but declined to give further details

Synagogue link collapsed building with departing plane from the Airport

Pastor T.B Joshua of Synagogue Church, Ikotun-Egbe, Lagos explains how the building collapsed While addressing journalists on saturday, in a session in which cameras and all forms of electronic recordings were disallowed, Pastor Joshua blamed the building collapse on terror attack after the church showed a clip taken from CCTV footage showing events that took place before and after the six-storey building collapsed.
From the footage, a plane was seen hovering in the sky four times-11:30 am, 11:43 am, 11:45 am and 11:54 am- before the building went down without something extraneous triggering it. After the plane hovered the fourth time in the sky, the structure collapsed at exactly 12:44 pm.
In his explanation after showing the footage, Joshua said the building might have collapsed as a result of terror attack, saying, “In few weeks, the truth behind the collapsed building will be revealed. The last time the Boko Haram issue occurred, some journalists and the police were against the church, but, after some weeks, the truth behind the attack was revealed.”
A critical look at the video footage shows plane's that has just departed from the Airport (Murtala International Airport) but the phase used by the church edited-CCTV video saying "strange aircraft" and repeatedly saying "the strange aircraft return". My question to the church analyst is that, if a plane should return would the plane not fly through the same route or rotates over the building like a plane waiting in the air at the Airport for a clear run-way...
The country awaits the Synagogue Church to come out and tell Nigerians if the building was approved by the Lagos State Government.

The blood of survivors could helps in treatment of Ebola

As West Africa struggles to contain the biggest ever outbreak of Ebola, some experts say an unusual but simple treatment might help: the blood of survivors. The evidence is mixed for using infection-fighting antibodies from survivors' blood for Ebola, but without any licensed drugs or vaccines for the deadly disease, some say it's worth a shot. "This is something that's fairly simple to do," said Dr. Peter Piot, director of London's School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the co-discoverer of the Ebola virus. Using blood of survivors is one of the experimental Ebola treatments under discussion at a two-day meeting that began Thursday in Geneva. The more than 200 experts assembled by the World Health Organization are looking at issues of safety and effectiveness and considering which treatments should be prioritized for testing during the current outbreak. There are about a half dozen medicines and vaccines in development. None has been rigorously tested in humans but early testing of one vaccine began this week in the United States. Much attention has focused on the untested drug ZMapp, which was given to seven patients, two of whom died. But the limited supply is now exhausted and its developer says it will take months to make even a modest amount. In contrast, WHO's blood network, an international group of blood regulators, noted there are thousands of survivors from past Ebola outbreaks in Africa who could be tapped as a source of survivor blood. The group recently issued a paper on how the strategy might be used. It said blood from survivors should be considered experimental and it recommended studies be done during the outbreak. Some scientists think antibodies in the blood of Ebola survivors could help patients infected with the deadly disease. Antibodies are produced by the body's immune system to fight off harmful things like viruses; they remain in the blood ready to fight off any future infections by the same foreign substance. Piot said it is vital to find out if the blood treatment is effective. "I hope this is the last Ebola outbreak where all we have is isolation, quarantine and supportive care to treat patients," he said. Experts say blood from survivors could be collected and processed for multiple patients, or a survivor could donate blood to an individual patient. Both methods require screening the blood for diseases like HIV or malaria. While direct donation would be easier, the levels of Ebola- fighting antibodies produced by a survivor can vary. Ideally, experts said, the amount of antibodies should be measured. "With drugs, you can at least do some quality control," said Tom Geisbert, an Ebola expert at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. "If you're just taking blood blindly from (survivors) without testing it for antibody levels, how can we predict what outcome they will have?" In West Africa, there have been no organized attempts to use the blood of survivors to treat patients. Blood from a 14-year-old boy who survived Ebola was given in July to American doctor Kent Brantly, who was infected in Liberia. Brantly also got some ZMapp and was released from an Atlanta hospital last month. It's unknown whether the drug or the boy's blood aided his recovery. Blood from survivors of diseases including Ebola, bird flu and anthrax has been used in the past when doctors ran out of options and seems to work best in diseases where there's a toxin, like anthrax and tetanus. For treating Ebola, "you would need to come up with how much you should give, how long, and what's a safe infusion rate," said Dr. Michael Kurilla, director of BioDefense at the U.S. National Institutes of Health. "If you know what the potency of the serum is, you could theoretically help the body clear Ebola out of their cells before it can do too much damage." Dr. Colin Brown, who recently worked in Ebola clinics in Sierra Leone for King's College London's partnership with the country, said local hospitals should be able to provide survivors' blood if doctors want to offer it. So far, more than 3,000 people have been infected. Last week, WHO estimated there could be another 20,000 cases before the Ebola outbreak is stopped, a figure Brown described as unfortunate but realistic. "It does give us the opportunity to try some new therapies," he said. "And as long as they are not harmful, why shouldn't we try to do something, hopefully help some patients and learn from this?"

Atiku Abubakar Announces Presidency Bid

Nigeria's former vice-president Atiku Abubakar on Friday became the first high profile politician to announce his candidacy for the presidency at next year's general elections. Abubakar, who was deputy to Olusegun Obasanjo from 1999 to 2007, is seeking to be the main opposition All Progressives Congress's candidate (APC) at the February 14, 2015 vote. A formal declaration will be made on September 24, his spokesman, Garba Shehu, said in an emailed statement. Primaries for the parties' candidates begin in October, according to an election commission timetable. "This is not about me, it is about our young people. It is about Nigerians," the 67-year-old Abubakar said. "It is their future, not the past. It is about reforming government, securing the people and reconciling the nation." Abubakar, from the northeastern state of Adamawa, was in government as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and made two unsuccessful bids for the presidency in 2007 and 2011. He announced in February that he was joining the APC because he said the PDP of President Goodluck Jonathan "cannot be redeemed", as it had not improved governance or tackled corruption. "We need leadership focused on our people, on creating jobs (and) providing security. That's why I am joining the APC," he said at the time. Divisions along religious, ethnic and regional lines had increased "for political gains" and the ruling party had abandoned ordinary Nigerians. The APC in contrast was "a party of change", he added. Political analysts have said that the PDP, never out of power since Nigeria returned to civilian rule in 1999, faces a strong challenge from the opposition at next year's vote. The APC ranks have been strengthened by the defection of powerful state governors and lawmakers, many of them from the Muslim-majority north, unhappy that Jonathan may run again. They claim that Jonathan, a southern Christian who has not yet outlined his intentions, reneged on a promise to serve only one term.

N65 Charge On Third-party ATM Withdrawals Takes Effect Today

Who are we to believe: Nigerian Army or Cameroonian Army

Embarrassed by reports that close to 500 Nigerian soldiers fled into Cameroonian to escape from heavily armed Boko Haram insurgents, Nigerian military authorities today posted a Statement claiming that the soldiers had charged into the neighboring West African country in a tactical maneuver. Cameroonian officials had told the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that at least 480 Nigerian soldiers had been disarmed and were being held in the protective custody of their gendarmes after the soldiers crossed into Cameroon while fleeing from a fierce attack by the Islamist insurgents. But in a post on its website, Nigeria’s Defense Headquarters claimed that the Nigerian troops found in Cameroun resulted from a sustained battle between the troops and the terrorists around the borders with Cameroun, adding that the Nigerian soldiers charged through the borders in a tactical maneuver. “Eventually [the soldiers] found themselves on Cameroonian soil,” the Nigerian military stated. The release added: “Being allies the normal protocol of managing such incident demanded that the troops submit their weapons in order to assure the friendly country that they were not on a hostile mission. “Following necessary discussions between Nigerian and Cameroonian military authorities, the issues have been sorted out. Subsequently, the troops are on their way back to join their unit in Nigeria. “The reference to the incidence as a defection is therefore not appropriate considering the discussion between the two countries’ military leadership and the series of contacts with the soldiers who have confirmed that they are safe. “Meanwhile, troops are repelling a group of terrorists who are trying to enter the country through Gamboru-Ngala. A group of them who fizzled into the town are being pursued.”

In New Gruesome Video, Boko Haram Declares Caliphate, Shows Scenes Of Fleeing Soldiers, Civilian Massacres

Abubakar Shekau, the mercurial leader of Nigeria’s Islamist group, Boko Haram, today released a video in which he declares the areas under his sect’s control a Caliphate and shows scenes of carnage carried out by his fighters against unarmed civilians. The video, which is the most gruesome since Boko Haram started the tradition of periodic releases of videotaped messages, also shows Nigerian soldiers fleeing from approaching insurgents. Mr. Shekau, who has used such images to cultivate the image of a fierce, reckless and merciless threat, appears to have tailored the current video to draw maximum global attention to his group. His declaration of a Caliphate is reminiscent of the style of the Sunni Islamic group, ISIS that has shot to the frontline of sectarian terrorist groups after declaring its ambition to build an Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. In his just released video, obtained by Saharareporters, Mr. Shekau said Boko Haram insurgents were grateful to “Allah who gave us victory to attack Abuja and also the Yobe [State] town called Damaturu.” In his characteristic rambling manner, Mr. Shekau added, “We still thank God for the successful bombing of Damboa and other parts of Nigeria. We are grateful to Allah for the big victory he granted our members in Gwoza and made the town part of our Islamic Caliphate.” Even though Boko Haram has always stated its rejection of Western education and values in Nigeria, the current video is the first time the group’s leader has explicitly declared a Caliphate, a term implying that the areas under Boko Haram’s control would be governed according to strict Islamic codes. Mr. Shekau lashed out at Western nations for supporting Nigeria to fight his insurgent fighters. “We are in an Islamic Caliphate. We have nothing to do with Nigeria. We don't believe in this name," he said, vowing that his group would continue attacks to achieve greater territorial control. Mr. Shekau stated that Boko Haram released the video in order to explain its recent attacks, officially acknowledging that the Islamist insurgents carried out recent attacks in Damboa, Gwoza and other communities in Borno and Yobe States. In the video, he revealed that Boko Haram also executed some of its members whom he described as infidels. “Oh people, I'm making this speech because of the lies being spread always by the government,” he stated. Mr. Shekau expressed his rage at youth volunteers (popularly called civilian Joint Task Force) who repelled attacks by Boko Haram and killed some insurgents. “Have you forgotten what you did to our brethren? You were even asking 'are you Boko Haram, have you ever carried a gun? This was how you killed our members,” said Mr. Shekau, threatening to avenge the killings of his fighters. Excerpts of the transcribed speech by Mr. Shekau are provided below: "I chose to deliver this message in order to refute the lies being spread by the government, about the operations we had in recent times. "We warn the vigilantes called civilian JTF to back off; if not, there will be no place for them to hide. We have evidence of how you killed some of our brethren whom you would ask if they were Boko Haram members before you killed them. We know how you humiliated them by asking them if they had ever carried guns or killed someone…We know everything about the evil you committed against our brethren. "We still have the magnanimity of asking you to repent because you will never succeed in this way by the grace of Allah. And I swear by Allah that we will never stop killing you, because Allah commanded us to kill people like you. If we pity you and spare you, one day you will become infidels. So, to us, having pity on you is an act of disbelief. You can continue to run or hide your identities in women’s attire, but we will get to you and remove the women’s clothing off of you. Then, while you are shouting for mercy, we will strike, smash your heads and kill you all. Even if you don't do anything to us we will kill you...We would do it even to avenge our brethren. You killed our brethren in large numbers. "We don't joke with religion (quoting from the Koran). There is no hypocrisy in this religion. It is only the truth. "We are not proud of our strength, nor with our weapons nor with anything we have but we are only proud of victory from Allah the exalted. Victory is only from God. Who is America in the sight of Allah? Who is America in the sight of Allah? Who is Israel in the sight of Allah? Who is France in the sight of Allah?”

Immigration set to recruit 5,000 officers

The Minister of Interior , Abba Moro , on Friday said the Federal Government planned to recruit 5 , 000 officers into the Nigeria Immigration Service ( NIS ) over the next five years . Moro said this in Abuja at the 2014 Comptroller- General ’ s annual conference and stakeholder’ s forum in commemoration of the 50 th anniversary of the service . The two - day conference organised by the service is themed : “Effective Border Control Systems and Procedures for National Security ” . He said recruitment was aimed at enabling the service to increase the number of officers manning the country ’ s 4 , 400 square kilometer borders. “ The fact that we have fewer than 23 , 000 immigration officers manning our very long stretch of border means there is need to add more men into the service . “ We owe Nigeria and Nigerians the duty of securing our borders in spite of the security challenges the country is facing now , ” he said. He said due to the extensive responsibilities of the service , the ministry was committed to supporting it towards being a world class migration management organisation in technologically - driven society . “ The Nigeria Immigration Service has been participating actively in the fight against insurgency in the North East and cross border organised crimes and criminality . “ We have lost some officers in the line of duty but I am pleased to note that in spite of all odds and challenges , our officers and men are fighting on , ” he said. Moro urged the officers to be committed in their service delivery and ensure that they delivered on President Goodluck Jonathan ’ s charge to deliver travel documents to Nigerians within 24 hours . He said that “business as usual ” would no longer be tolerated , adding that corruption and extortion would be appropriately sanctioned . Earlier , Comptroller- General of the NIS , David Parradang , called for the recruitment of at least 5, 000 new officers annually into the service over the next five years . He expressed concern over the unmanned 1 , 400 illegal border routes in the country , noting that, while there were only 84 approved land routes across the over 4, 000 square - kilometre border, the over 1 , 400 illegal routes caused serious security implications for the country . “ NIS presently has a total of 22 , 321 staff and the enormous statutory obligations of the NIS coupled with emerging migration trends and trajectories make this number of personnel grossly inadequate . “ The un - demarcated and poorly marked borders make settlement of people in border communities intertwined and stringent control by the service apparently difficult. He also called for the construction of border plazas equipped with radars, sensors , cargo and document scanners and modern border patrol aircraft , boats, vehicles and communication gadgets. “ Improved training and re - training of our personnel is also required to enable them cope with the dynamics of modern migration management . “ Given the enabling environment and the necessary support, the service can be placed on a better pedestal to guarantee a more improved performance , ” he said. The Chairman , Senate Committee on Interior , Sen. Atiku Bagudu, and his House of Representatives counterpart, Rep . Umar Bature , as well as retired officers of the service attended the conference .

Ebola Report

Help prevent the spread of Ebola! Report any suspected case to 08037879701/08037154575 or email ebolainfo@health.gov.ng (Federal Ministry of Health)

Popular Shopping Mall In Ibadan Gutted By Fire

The busy Aleshinloye Market in Ibadan, Oyo State, has been gutted by fire a source closed to the area.
The fire started around 11: 40 PM Nigeria time, leaving many residents close to the area panicky and running away from the area of the wild fire for safety.
According to the Source, who sent a text message to our correspondent, the cause of the raging fire is not yet known, but properties worth millions of naira have already been destroyed. Aleshinloye market is known as one of the busiest shopping malls in Ibadan North area of Oyo state.
As at the time of filling this report, men of the fire service in Oyo state are at the area to curtail the raging inferno.

Governor Aregbesola Coasts To Victory In Osun Governorship Election

Incumbent governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola is on the verge of being formally declared as the winner of the governorship election in Osun that held on Saturday August 8 2014. Electoral results officially released by INEC show that that Mr. Aregbesola is leading his closest rival, Iyiola Omisore of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) by at least more than 100,000 votes. Reports coming from Osun earlier disclosed that Mr. Aregbesola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) party was comfortably ahead based our monitoring of results from polling stations across Osun state. INEC figures in 30 local government areas show that Aregbesola has scored the highest votes in the election against Omisore An INEC official speaking this night from Osogbo told us that figures received from a variety of polling centers suggest that the incumbent governor will be officially announced as Saturday election in a matter of a few hours. The PDP had pulled all the stops in effort to defeat Mr. Aregbesola and to sustain the momentum gained by the party when it won the June governorship election in Ekiti state. Reproduced below are the results collated : ELECTION RESULTS S/N LGA APC PDP 

1 ATAKUMOTA EAST 9,134 6,292 

2 ATAKUMOSA WEST 6,928 5,142 

3 AYEDAADE 13,186 11,306 

4 AYEDIRE 7,834 7,828 

5 BOLOWADURO 4,891 5,035 

6 BORIPE 12,723 9,344 

7 EDE NORTH 17,385 11,064 

8 EDE SOUTH 11,738 7,462 

9 EGBEDORE 10,615 7,024 

10 EJIGBO 9,942 4,422 

11 IFE CENTRAL 9,650 24,555 

12 IFEDAYO 4,225 3,982 

13 IFE EAST 13,821 20,831 

14 IFELODUN 17,447 12,476 

15 IFE NORTH 8,603 9,841 

16 IFE SOUTH 6,544 13,022 

17 ILA 10,825 7,916 

18 ILESA EAST 16,106 5,913 

19 ILESA WEST 15,427 5,449

 20 IREPODUN 13,314 7,386 

21 IREWOLE 17,939 10,263 

22 ISOKAN 9,578 10,028 

23 IWO 21,093 15,435 

24 OBOKUN 11,696 8,618 

25 ODO OTIN 11,950 12,902 

26 OLA OLUWA 7,927 4,953

27 OLORUNDA 26,496 8,466 

28 ORIADE 12,523 10,214 

29 OROLU 8,558 6,786 24,114 

30 OSOGBO 39,948 12,398 

TOTAL 387,504 286,947

 MARGIN= 101,693

US Surveillance Plane SpotsAbducted Chibok Girls

The news came as another U.S. paper, USA Today, launched fresh attacks on President Goodluck Jonathan over his handling of the crisis. In an editorial Tuesday, the newspaper accused Mr. Jonathan of showing no sufficient commitment to rescuing the girls. A United States surveillance plane has spotted what appears to be a group of girls abducted from Chibok by Boko Haram in April. The girls were spotted in July, raising the hope that their rescue is still possible, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, quoting U.S. officials. The girls were abducted from their dormitory in Government Secondary School Chibok, Borno State in the North-eastern part of Nigeria. Amid international outrage, the United States, Britain, France and Canada offered intelligence support and sent specialists to Nigeria. The effort has yielded little, while global attention has gradually receded. Over 50 of the girls have however escaped leaving more than 200 still in captivity. United States officials said the aerial surveillance also showed that most of the girls are still held captive by the group and have not been married off or used as sex slaves as feared and threatened by the group. The surveillance flights over northeastern Nigeria spotted a group of 60 to 70 girls held in an open field early July, two U.S. defense officials were quoted by the Wall Street Journal as saying. A set of roughly 40 girls were later seen in a different field. The paper cited reports that referred to intermediaries who reached out to Boko Haram, as saying that the leader of the group, Abubakar Shekau, ordered his fighters to treat the girls as valued hostages and not sex slaves. “He gave a directive that anybody found touching any of the girls should be killed immediately,” the report said. The news came as another U.S. paper, USA Today, launched fresh attacks on President Goodluck Jonathan over his handling of the crisis. In an editorial Tuesday, the newspaper accused Mr. Jonathan of showing no sufficient commitment to rescuing the girls. “Jonathan, in Washington this week for a U.S.-Africa summit, says his government is making every effort to find the girls. But he offers no evidence, is dismissive of the foreign help and argues that divulging any details could compromise the mission,” the paper said. The newspaper said the Nigerian government was not matching its words with actions in their rescue efforts.

Nigerian Doctor Who Attended To Liberian Man Comes Down With Ebola Virus In Lagos

Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, has just confirmed that one of the doctors who attended to Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian, who recently died of Ebola in Nigeria, is now sick with the disease.
Chukwu said two other people placed under quarantine were showing signs of the disease, although it is too early to say if their symptoms relates to Ebola. Sawyer was Nigeria’s first case of Ebola death two weeks ago, and since his demise there have been widespread fears that some of the more than 70 people he had contact with also develop the virus.

Blessing Okagbare made it double with the win in 200m Gold In Glasgow

Blessing Okagbare won the 200m sprint yesterday night at the Commonwealth Games in Scotland, finishing ahead of English duo Jodie Williams and Bianca Williams with a time of 22.25 seconds.
Though the three British sprinters who took second, third, and fourth place achieved personal best times, they could not best Okagbare, 25, who also won the 100m race on Monday.
"I am happy I won," said Okagbare. "It wasn't favourable weather and running two rounds in one day is new for me." She furthered, "I wanted something faster. I didn't get the time but I got the win and two golds. It's amazing."

Nigeria Appoints Suleiman Abba As New Police Chief

The Federal Government has appointed Mr. Suleiman Abba as the new Inspector General of Police. A press statement issued by President Goodluck Jonathan's media aide, Reuben Abati today states that Abba will resume as new IGP tomorrow.Mr. Abba who once served as Aide De Camp to the wife of Nigeria’s late dictator, Maryam Abacha will succeed Mohammed Abubakar, whose tenure ended today. A source at the Presidency told SaharaReporters that Mr. Abubakar tried in vain to gain an extension of his tenure, but that many forces opposed to him prevailed on President Goodluck Jonathan to look for a successor. Mr. Abubakar had spent 35 years as a police officer. “He was desperate to stay in office to enable him [to] oversee the 2015 general elections,” said our source, adding that Mr. Jonathan did not buy into the plan. The retiring IG’s tenure was marked by serious questions in the last week when he made the controversial and widely condemned decision to reinstate Sam Chukwu, an Enugu- based police officer considered the mastermind of a crime ring in Enugu. Mr. Chukwu was indicted in the 2009 kidnap of 19-year-old Lotachukwu (Lota) Ezeudu, but went underground to avoid facing prosecutors and Justice Afam Nwobodo, who is handling the trial of other suspects. Police officers, prosecutors and residents of Enugu criticized Mr. Abubakar’s decision to assign the fugitive officer, Mr. Chukwu, to the post of provost of the southeast police command headquartered in Umuahia, the capital of Abia State. Before his appointment, rumors have swirled around Mr. Abba’s closeness to Nigeria’s first lady, Patience Jonathan especially as Abba lobbied for appointment reportedly doling huge sums of money to Mrs. Jonathan. A former IG of Police, Mike Mbama Okiro, today congratulated Mr. Abba on his new appointment. Mr. Okiro is the current chairman of the Police Service Commission. The new IG, who is from Jigawa State, was until his appointment the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in Charge of Zone 7, Abuja. Mr. Okiro advised the new IG to strive to rise to the challenges of his new post. He described Mr. Abba as a tested officer who had held various command positions in the Nigeria Police Force, adding that he was confident the new police chief would bring fresh perspectives to the search for solutions to the security threats confronting Nigeria.AIG Abba, currently the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 7, comprising Abuja, Kaduna and Niger states, replaces the incumbent Inspector-General of Police, IGP Mohammed Abubakar who proceeds on statutory retirement today having completed 35 years in service. The incoming Inspector-General, a lawyer, hails from Jigawa State and is an alumnus of the Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies. Positions previously held by him in the Police include Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department, FCT Command, Deputy Force Secretary and Commissioner of Police, Rivers State. His appointment is with effect from Friday, August 1, 2014 Reuben Abati Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity) July 31, 2014

President Jonathan Condemns Terror Attacks in Kano, Adamawa And Cameroon

President Goodluck Jonathan today wholeheartedly condemned the recent terrorist attacks in Kano and Adamawa States, the kidnap of the Lamido of Kolofata in Northern Cameroon, Lamido Seini Lamine, and the wife of the Vice Prime Minister of Cameroon, the presidency said in a statement.President Goodluck Jonathan today wholeheartedly condemned the recent terrorist attacks in Kano and Adamawa States, the kidnap of the Lamido of Kolofata in Northern Cameroon, Lamido Seini Lamine, and the wife of the Vice Prime Minister of Cameroon, the presidency said in a statement. He described as shocking, callous and reprehensible, the multiple bomb blasts that occurred in Kano within 24 hours, and the unrelenting attacks by the Boko Haram at a time the Muslim faithful are observing the holy festival of Eid el Fitri. President Jonathan’s remarks came as the management of the Ado Bayero Mall in Kano announced closure of the complex for the rest of Monday in response to the attack. Commiserating with the families of all those who lost their loved ones in the Kano and Adamawa attacks, he noted that the deployment of young women as suicide bombers represents a new low in the inhuman campaign by terrorists, and an expression of utter disregard for the dignity of the female gender as well as a wicked exploitation of the girl-child. The President stated that the abduction of the Lamido of Kolofata and the wife of the Vice premier of Cameroon clearly underscores the regional security threat that Boko Haram has become. “He welcomes the recent resolve by the Defence Ministers of Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Benin and Niger to further strengthen existing partnerships in order to forestall the desperate attempt by misguided elements to turn the sub-region into a battleground for terrorism and radical extremism,” he said, urging the security forces to remain resolute, and not be discouraged by the desperation of the agents of evil. He expressed the belief that with the continued cooperation between Nigeria’s security forces and their counterparts in neighboring countries, the war against terror will surely be won. The management of the Ado Bayero Mall said that further announcements will be made in due course The attack on the mall was reportedly carried out by a 19-year old female suicide bomber. Meanwhile, the police have announced the arrest of several suspects in connection with two separate attacks on Isyaku Rabiu Mosque and St. Charles Catholic Church. Several suspects were killed in the church attack.

Nigerian ambassador, 3 ECOWAS staff, 55 others had contact with Lagos Ebola victim — Idris

The Lagos State Government disclosed, yesterday, that the Nigerian Ambassador to Liberia, Chigozie Obi Nnadozie, three staff of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, and 55 others had contact with the victim of Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, Patrick Sawyer, who died in Lagos, last Thursday. The Joint Federal and State Team in collaboration with other health organisations on prevention of Ebola outbreak in Lagos, has begun monitoring of the 59 persons that had contact with the victim, who died of Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, in a private hospital in Lagos, last week. Addressing a joint press briefing, yesterday, on the update of the Ebola virus disease, Director National Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, Professor Abdulsalim Nasidi, and Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, explained that out of the 59 persons that had contact with the Sawyer in Lagos, 44 were hospital contacts (38 healthcare workers and six laboratory staff) and 15 airport contacts comprising three ECOWAS staff – driver, liaison and protocol officer, Nigerian Ambassador to Monrovia, two nursing staff and five airport passenger handlers. Appeal for calm Idris, who appealed for calm, said right now, 20 contacts had been physically screened. “The airline manifest has not been provided by the airline at the time of this report and therefore, the precise number of passenger contacts is yet to be ascertained, especially as two flights were involved Monrovia – Lome and Lome – Lagos. There was no report of medical incident filed and the General Declaration report of the flight.” Idris who stated categorically that only one case of imported Ebola and one death has been recorded in Lagos, said: “No Nigerian is infected, but all contacts are being actively followed. We call on all Nigerians to be calm and not panic and I do hereby assure them that both the state and Federal governments are up in arms to ensure that the virus did not escape and that no Nigeria is infected with this virus,” he stressed. Preliminary investigation It was further disclosed that preliminary laboratory investigation conducted by the NCDC AI virology laboratory of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, and the Redeemers’ University’s World-Bank Funded African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID) detected viral DNA and in both blood and urine samples obtained from the patient were positive for the Pan Filo virus analysis and Ebola Zaire MGB virus strain – specific analysis. Samples were also collected for further confirmation at the WHO, collaborating laboratory for Ebola in Dakar. Meanwhile, an isolation ward has been designated by the Lagos State Ministry of Health at the Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba for case management. The designation of three other health facilities was said to be under way. Idris explained that adhering strictly to WHO guidelines, the body of the deceased patient was decontaminated using 10 per cent sodium hypochlorite and cremated, with the permission of the government of Liberia. “A cremation report has been prepared for dispatch to the family. The vehicle that conveyed the remains was also fully decontaminated.” Nasidi, who allayed fears that EVD cannot be acquired through mere coming into contact with the EVD patient, disclosed that effort to send the packaged sample of the decease to Dakar failed as the courier company turned it down. “We were disappointed that the courier rejected the sample. That is why we immediately sought the second opinion of World Health Organisation, WHO, recommended laboratory which is International Centre for Genomics. We are still going to dispatch it to Dakar, most likely first thing today but the WHO has accepted this result.” Nasidi explained further that even dead bodies of EVD could be more dangerous in terms of transmission. Case management To ensure appropriate case management and infection prevention and control, he explained that an isolation ward has been designated by the Lagos State Ministry of Health at the Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba for case management, adding that the designation of three other health facilities is under way. Further, he disclosed that a total of 100 Personal Protective Equipment, PPEs, have been procured by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, and Federal Ministry of Health, FMOH and distributed to the private hospital and the state Ministry of Health and WHO also donated 250 PPEs to the NCDC/FMOH. On how the corpse was decomposed, the Commissioner said the state adhered strictly to WHO guidelines, the body of the deceased patient was de-contaminated, using 10 per cent sodium hypochlorite and cremated, with the permission of the government of Liberia. “A cremation report has been prepared for dispatch to the family. The vehicle that conveyed the remains was also fully decontaminated,” he added. Recognising the importance of involving the community early in the response, he stated that already the various communities, traditional and religious leaders have been alerted about the disease and urged to report promptly to healthcare workers of any suspected case. Categories of EVD Explaining categories of Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, spread, he explained that “those who come in direct contact of excretions of the dead are primary high risk group; the second group are those that come in contact with facilities used to actually treat or handle these patients; the third category are those who come in contact with those who came in very closed contact with the victim or the dead body. However, the fourth category is those who are within the areas of active transmission of the virus. “It is also important we clarify a question of whether any of the contacts has been tested - the two laboratories are on standby for 24 hours and we have the APIN and the laboratory committee on the group screening one on one, and taking temperature of the contacts twice a day – morning and evening. We are following WHO criteria and the special protocol that you screen only the blood of only those contacts that start developing symptoms. We are going to identify few of them that we’d already known that came directly in contact with the blood of the deceased while managing him,” he added. Warning communities that eat bats, he said this is the time for them to desist from consuming it. Similarly, he noted that some communities that worship bats and keep them in their houses should be very careful and stop the act. Burials On burial ceremonies of people who died from EVD, he said it had been shown that 40 per cent of the cases of Ebola virus spread was from the mishandling of the burial of the dead bodies. He warned that in case of any Ebola death, people should not just go and bury but contact public health officials. Preventive tips President of the Nigerian Academy of Science, Professor Oyewale Tomori, who commended the state government for its prompt response, harped on the rules of hand washing and infection control. “There is no need for panic if we follow the rules of hand washing and infection control. There is need for Nigerians to be at alert as it is happening within the West African countries. There is absolutely no need to panic, he insisted. “Where it has spread, it is because people have abandoned the rules of hand washing and infection control; we shouldn’t have diseases like Ebola if we maintain the rules of hand washing. Where people have followed the rules of hand washing, we must be at alert; we are not out of the wood yet. We must continue to be at alert. We need to be washing our hands but no reason to panic.” He explained that domestic animals are not carriers of Ebola virus and people who are rearing domestic animals such as pig should not be afraid. Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Health, Dr. Yewande Adeshina urged residents and health officials in the state to report any suspected case of Ebola virus immediately. Adeshina appealed to residents to reduce the risk of contracting the disease by observing high standard of hygiene through washing of hands often with soap and water. “Avoid close contact with anyone who is sick and ensure that objects used by the sick are decontaminated and properly disposed because fluids from an infected person are extremely dangerous,” Adeshina urged residents. NCAA suspends A_SKY Airline operations to Nigeria Meanwhile, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, yesterday, said it has suspended all A_SKY Airline operations to Nigeria with immediate effect. The airline flew the Liberian infected with the Ebola virus into Lagos, which has created panic and diverted world attention to Nigeria.

Nigerian Troops Hold Suspected Bomber Disguised As A Woman

Nigerian troops are holding a man suspected to be connected with the explosion targeted at General Buhari on Wednesday. The young man was apprehended by a military patrol team that immediately swooped-in on the area following the explosion. The team found the suspicious character disguised as a woman; he was clad in female garb, with a brassiere affixed to his chest to exude femininity.
The patrol team that arrived on the scene arrested the suspect while he was trying to disappear into a crowd of onlookers. Youths in the area attempted to mob him while he was being arrested but they were restrained by troops who whisked him away in an armored personnel carrier. He is currently being interrogated by security agencies in a bid to ascertain his links.
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Bomb Blast Reported At New Road Bus Station In Sabon Gari, Kano...

Residents of Sabon-Gari in Kano, Kano State, have confirmed to SaharaReporters that a high capacity improvised explosive device (IED) detonated at the New Road Motor Park in Sabon Gari, Kano, at around 3:00pm (1500 GMT) today.
One of them, who spoke with our Reporters on phone, said the explosive devices were hidden in a worktop fridge, concealed in a bag and dropped off by two men masquerading as travelers. The number of dead and injured victims was unclear at the time of reporting, but unlike last year’s blast the same area, there were fewer number of people around the scene of the blast. In March at least 60 were reported killed, and several vehicles destroyed by a bombing at the same motor park.
Police in the state also confirmed the blast, saying: “Explosion has occurred at New Road Motor Park, Sabon-Gari, Kano, at 3pm. Explosives [were] hidden in table top fridge disguised as luggage.” Today's incident joins the near-daily string of attacks that has plagued the region.

General Buhari’s Convoy Targeted By Second Kaduna Bomb Blast

A source close to former military Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari, has told us that a second bomb explosion that rocked the Kawo bus station in Kaduna today appeared to have targeted Mr. Buhari’s convoy. Three aides and security personnel traveling with Mr. Buhari to Daura, his hometown, have been confirmed injured in the afternoon blast.
Our source said that the bombers had trailed Mr. Buhari’s convoy and detonated the bomb as the convoy neared a bridge in Kawo. Our source said the retired General was in good condition, even though he was shaken up by the trauma of the attack. “Three of General Buhari’s aides were injured this afternoon in the explosion at Kawo,” said the source. He disclosed that the injuries were not life-threatening.
An earlier bomb explosion in Kaduna claimed more than 20 lives. Our source stated that scores of people were killed in the second bomb blast near a bridge in Kawo. He added that numerous people, including a security aide to Mr. Buhari and two others in the ex-general’s convoy, sustained varying degrees of injury. The source disclosed that the Kawo bus stop explosion happened as Mr. Buhari’s convoy was passing through the area. He said the ex-head of state, who is a top official of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) as well as a staunch critic of President Goodluck Jonathan, was returning from a funeral in Zaria at the time of the explosion.
On Monday, Mr. Buhari had issued a statement accusing President Jonathan of pushing Nigeria to the edge of a precipice. He blamed the president for a spate of impeachments of political office holders who oppose Mr. Jonathan. In his response, Mr. Jonathan told the former military ruler to focus on mending the internal rifts plaguing the opposition APC.
At least 25 were confirmed dead after a bomb detonated earlier near Alkali Road in Kaduna, the capital of Kaduna State. A security source told us that the first bomb blast was targeted at a popular Islamic cleric, Dahiru Bauchi, who was delivering a Ramadan lecture at Murtala Square to Muslims observing Ramadan Tafsir. No group has claimed responsibility for the two high-profile attacks, but a security operative in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, said the explosions were likely the handiwork of the extremist Islamist group, Boko Haram.

Suspension of the Nigeria Football Federation lifted

FIFA has today, 18 July 2014, lifted the suspension that was imposed on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on 9 July 2014 on account of interference. FIFA has noted that the court proceedings and order preventing the president of the NFF, the NFF Executive Committee members and the NFF Congress from running the affairs of Nigerian football that prompted the suspension have been withdrawn.
As statutory order has been reinstated at the NFF and the legitimate bodies reinstalled, FIFA has decided to lift the suspension as of today, Friday 18 July 2014. The lifting of the suspension means that all rights of the NFF as a FIFA member as defined in article 12 of the FIFA Statutes are reinstated.

Nyanya Bombing: Nigeria Police Interpol Unit Finally Arrives Home With Ogwuche

Following the conclusion of tortuous legal and diplomatic processes between Nigeria and the Republic of Sudan, the co mastermind of the Nyanya Motor Park bombing in which scores of citizens died and hundreds wounded, Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche was Tuesday, 15th July, 2014 extradited to the country from Sudan where he had taken refuge. Aminu Ogwuche who was handed over to the Interpol Unit of the Nigeria Police Force by the Sudanese Authorities was flown into the country in a special flight from Khartoum which touched down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at 3.00pm today.
It would be recalled that the terror fugitive who had long since been arrested in Sudan following an international red notice issued for his arrest by the Nigeria National Bureau of Interpol had not been repatriated to the country before now due to some necessary processes involved in transferring suspects from one country to another.
Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP MD Abubakar, CFR, NPM, mni, psc while commending the personnel of the Nigeria Police Interpol Unit for a job well done, noted that the successful repatriation of the terror fugitive to Nigeria shows that the global coalition against terrorism championed by Nigeria is beginning to yield the desired result.

ACP FRANK MBA
FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER,
FORCE HEADQUARTERS, ABUJA.

Malala Yusafza appeals to Boko Haram militants

Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl who survived an attack by the Taliban, on Monday appealed to Boko Haram militants in Nigeria to lay down their weapons and "stop misusing the name of Islam." Malala is visiting Nigeria in support of an estimated 276 girls kidnapped by Boko Haram from their school in Chibok in northeastern Nigeria on April 14. Boko Haram, whose name roughly translates as "Western education is a sin" in the local Hausa language, is trying to impose Sharia law across Nigeria and especially opposes the education of women. Malala has been an outspoken supporter of girls' education. In 2012, her views made her the target of the Pakistan Taliban, which tried to assassinate the then-15-year-old as she traveled home from school. She survived and a year later launched the nonprofit Malala Fund , aimed at empowering girls through education. 

In 2013, the United Nations declared Malala's birthday, July 12, Malala Day as she addressed the U.N. General Assembly in New York. This year she is in Nigeria for Malala Day, which is being celebrated Monday, two days after her 17th birthday. Over the weekend, Malala met some of the schoolgirls who managed to escape Boko Haram and the families of the more than 200 girls still missing. Outrage at the mass abduction inspired the social media campaign #BringBackOurGirls , with Malala among the global faces photographed holding a sign with the hashtag. She met with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday in the capital, Abuja. Nigerians and others have accused the government of not acting swiftly or efficiently enough to protect the girls who were abducted from Chibok. But the military has defended its response saying its soldiers have to enforce a state of emergency across Borno state, where Chibok is situated -- an area of more than 90,000 square kilometers (34,750 square miles). After her meeting with Jonathan, CNN asked Malala if he had said whether any progress had been made in finding the girls. "As you all know, in politics nothing is clear. In the circumstances nothing is clear really, but the President did make promises, and the President said that he feels that these girls are his daughters," Malala said. She added that Jonathan had said he would meet the parents of kidnapped girls and provide support to those who had escaped Boko Haram. Jonathan told Malala that the government "was definitely doing everything possible to ensure that the girls were rescued alive and safely returned to their parents," his office said in a statement. "Terror is relatively new here and dealing with it has its challenges. The great challenge in rescuing the Chibok girls is the need to ensure that they are rescued alive," he said. "We have had teams from the United States, Britain, France, Israel and other friendly nations working with us here on the rescue effort and they all appreciate the challenges and the need to thread carefully to achieve our purpose." Jonathan also thanked Malala for "your efforts to change the world positively through your powerful advocacy for girl-child education," the statement said. Malala later gave a speech to mark Malala Day to an audience that included advocates from the #BringBackOurGirls campaign and some of the schoolgirls who had escaped Boko Haram. Malala said she had told the President: "You need to fulfill your responsibilities." She also issued an appeal to the militants. "I ask Boko Haram to stop misusing the name of Islam," she said. "Lay down your weapons, release your sisters, release my sisters and release the daughters of this nation." A country "becomes powerful when its people become educated," she said. "Let us not forget that one book, one pen, one child and one teacher can change the world." In May, Malala told CNN's Christiane Amanpour that women were targeted by those who feared a society in which women are empowered. Malala's activism started after the Taliban banned girls from schools in Pakistan's Swat Valley in 2009. She anonymously blogged for the BBC in opposition to that order and became an open advocate for girls' education. her visit coincides with her 17th year birthday which is also Malala Day, a day set aside by the United Nations for the world to focus on putting all girls to school. 

The visit of this global voice of resistance against anti-western education to Nigeria is significant for plethora of reasons, few will suffice. 

Firstly, it is apparent that the agitation for the release of the Chibok girls has gone down. We seem to had resigned to fate given the body language of the federal government which suggest indecisiveness and disinterestedness in the matter. The media, especially the main stream media seems to have moved on to more news worthy issues. Evidently, the visit of Malala has reawaken international consciousness to the precarious condition of the abducted girls. It has re-ignited the agitative spirit of the #BringBackOurGirls campaigners who have been serially intimidated, insulted and blackmailed by the forces of retrogression. 

Secondly, the Nigerian president who in the last three months have been exuding a nonchalant disposition in rescuing our girls has suddenly demonstrated modicum of responsibility. The President has finally pledged to meet with the relatives of the girls and to provide scholarship for the girls, he has equally promised to launch a Support Fund for victims of terror. Malala herself has pledged a contributory sum of $200.000 to the education of the Chibok girls. These are appreciable steps towards assuaging the restive mood of the parents of the girls and the nation. 

Thirdly, Malala's visit has once again brought to the fore the cancerous character of the Nigerian state. It has placed our nation on the global map of failing states. Ours is a nation of lost glory, a nation destitute in conscience, justice and responsible leadership. It has exposed the crass failure of our institutions in protecting the poor, weak and vulnerable. It has shamed the Nigerian political class whose penchant for corruption, tyranny and ethno-religious chauvinism has driven our nation to the precipice. 

Lastly, this epochal visit will to some extent undermine the atavistic and imbecilic doctrinaire of the murderous Boko Haram sect. Being herself a Muslim girl from the Middle East, a part of the world where the orgies of Islamic extremism appeals to many, and having survived the onslaught of the Taliban, a radical Islamic sect, which like Boko Haram, is opposed to western education, especially by women and girls, Malala is most eligible to send a message to the women and girls in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and other warring places in the North where Boko Haram has succeeded in intimidating women and girls out of school; a message that western education is not evil, a message that Muslim women and girls have the right to education, a message that it pays to educate the girl child. As a people and nation, it is advisable for us to utilise Malala's visit for self-censorship, the leadership of this country should be circumspect. Let us ruminate on why it took the visit of Malala for President Jonathan to make commitment of meeting with the parents and relatives of the Chibok girls. 

The federal government and the opposition should desist from dancing on the graves of those innocent Nigerians who have been murdered by Boko Haram. The dirty politics must stop now. Those sponsoring Boko Haram must be identified and brought to justice. To Malala, be rest assured that your place in history is secured. #BringBackOurGirls.