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Congolese authorities recieves 50,000 vaccines from the USA

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Eka-Yusuf
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On Tuesday 50,000 doses of smallpox vaccine was from the United States , a week after the first batch arrived from the European Union.

Adults in Equateur, South Kivu and Sankuru, the three provinces most affected, will be vaccinated first, starting on October 2, Cris Kacita Osako, coordinator of the Congolese Committee for the Fight against Monkeypox, told the Associated Press.

Last week, the first batch of smallpox vaccine arrived in the capital of Congo, the center of the epidemic. The 100,000 doses of JYNNEOS vaccine, manufactured by the Danish company Bavarian Nordic, were donated by the European Union through HERA, the Union’s agency for health emergencies. A further 100,000 doses were delivered over the weekend.

The 50,000 doses from the USA will be of the same JYNNEOS vaccine.

These 250,000 doses represent only a fraction of the three million doses which, according to the authorities, are needed to put an end to the smallpox epidemics in Congo, the epicenter of the global health emergency. EU countries have pledged to donate a further 500,000 doses, but the timetable for their delivery is unclear.

Since the start of 2024, 5,549 cases of smallpox have been confirmed on the continent, with 643 associated deaths, representing a sharp increase in the number of infections and deaths compared with previous years.Cases in Congo accounted for 91% of the total. Most smallpox cases in Congo and Burundi, the second most affected country, involve children under the age of 15.

Last week, the African Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization launched a continent-wide response plan to the smallpox epidemic, three weeks after the WHO declared epidemics in 12 African countries a global emergency.

Congo has granted emergency authorization for the vaccine, which has already been used in Europe and the United States for adults. For the time being, deployment will be restricted to adults, with the priority target groups being those who have been in close contact with infected people and sex workers, CDC Africa Director General Dr Jean Kaseya told reporters last week.

The European Medicines Agency is examining additional data so that it can administer the vaccine to children aged 12 to 17, which could happen at the end of the month, said HERA Director General Laurent Muschel.The next batch of smallpox vaccine will come from Japan and could arrive as early as this weekend, Kacita Osako told the AP, without specifying the number of doses

AP

Yobe Government raises alarm of fresh flooding

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Eka-Yusuf
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Yobe Government has issued an alarm of imminent flooding of 9 Local Government Areas in the state.

The Local Government Areas are; Nguru, Bade, Karasuwa, Jakusko, Yusufari, Geidam, Tarmuwa, Bursari, Machina, Gujba and Fune. Dr Mohammed Goje, Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), gave the warning in a statement in Damaturu on Tuesday.

He noted that the release of water from the two dams would add to the predicaments of residents of the areas, who were already affected by recent floods triggered by days of torrential rain.

“Yobe has experienced significant flooding between April 15 and September 9 2024, causing widespread devastation across several local government areas.

“This advisory serves as an early warning alert for further flooding due likely impending discharge of water from Dadinkowa dam, Hadeja-Jama’are River, River Kamodugu, and Lagdo dam in Cameroon,” Goje said.

The executive secretary advised residents of the areas to take precautionary measures, including moving to higher grounds to save their lives and property.

“Stay informed by regularly listening to updates from traditional leaders, local government authorities and the state emergency management agency.

“Keep emergency contact details handy for quick access to response services,” he advised.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that over 19,000 households across 432 communities have been hit by floods in the state.

News Agency of Nigeria

Tanzanian official goes missing and is found dead with signs of beatings and acid marks

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Eka-Yusuf
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An official who went missing last week has been found dead with signs of beatings and acid poured on his face,Tanzania’s most prominent opposition party says.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who has loosened past restrictions on the opposition in the East African nation, quickly condemned the killing in a statement posted on X and said her administration does not condone such acts.

Armed men abducted Ali Kibao, a secretariat member of the CHADEMA party, from a bus travelling from the commercial hub of Dar es Salaam to the port city of Tanga, on Friday. His body was found on Saturday, opposition leader Freeman Mbowe said late Sunday.

Mbowe said an autopsy would be done on Monday and urged the president to form a commission to investigate Kibao’s death. The president in her statement said she has asked investigating agencies for an in-depth report.

The opposition wants an independent investigation.

“It is impossible for the same police who are the suspects to investigate this matter,” Mbowe told mourners on Monday.

Acid attacks are unusual in Tanzania, where some opposition figures in the past have been physically assaulted or even shot.

Mbowe and other opposition figures in recent days have been detained and released without charge as they planned a political rally — an act banned by the previous administration in Tanzania but later allowed by Hassan.

Tanzania is expected to hold its next presidential election next year.

AP

A Ugandan Olympian dies from fire burns

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Eka-Yusuf
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According to the Kenyan hospital where he was treated, A man accused of setting a Ugandan Olympic athlete on fire, causing her death days later.

Dickson Ndiema was admitted at the Moi Referral Hospital in the western Eldoret city for burns covering 30% of his body. Ndiema is alleged to have sustained the injuries after setting on fire Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei, who died last Thursday with 80% of burns on her body.

The hospital spokesperson, Owen Menach, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the hospital would issue a statement later but confirmed that the patient had died.

According to a report filed by the local chief, Ndiema and Cheptegei quarrelled over a piece of land that the athlete bought in Kenya.

Cheptegei competed in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics less than a month before the attack. She finished in 44th place.

Cheptegei’s parents said their daughter bought land in the Trans Nzoia county near Kenya’s many athletic training centres.

The athlete’s father, Joseph Cheptegei, told reporters last week that Ndiema, his daughter’s former boyfriend, was stalking and threatening her and the family had informed the police.

He said he wanted justice and lamented that the suspect was not being guarded at his hospital bed and expressed concern that he might escape.

Cheptegei is expected to be buried at her home in Uganda on Saturday.

AP

UN top official says “Situation in libya has deteriorated quite rapidly”

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Eka-Yusuf
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Tuesday (Aug. 20),The United Nations top official in Libya told the Security Council that the recent situation in the Maghreb country has complicated efforts for a negotiated political solution.

“Over the past two months, the situation in Libya has deteriorated quite rapidly in terms of political, economic, and security stability. Unilateral acts by Libyan political, military, and security actors have increased tension, further entrenched institutional and political divisions and complicated efforts for a negotiated solution.”

Libyan Ambassador Taher Al-Sunni for his part told the Council that “the solution, the only possible solution for Libya involves putting an end to divisions and to remedy the precarity of institutions through free, transparent and inclusive elections.”

AP

A large amount of cocaine seized on plane from Venezuela by police in Guinea-Bissau

By
Eka-Yusuf
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Over the weekend, reported by judicial police on Monday.Tons of cocaine was seized by Police in Guinea-Bissau from a plane that arrived from Venezuela in the West African country’s capital.

The agents confiscated 78 bales of drugs that were smuggled in on a Gulfstream IV aircraft during a raid on Saturday afternoon at Bissau’s Osvaldo Vieira International Airport, the police said in a statement.

The crew of five, which included two Mexican nationals as well as citizens of Colombia, Ecuador and Brazil, were arrested, including the pilot.

Cocaine seizures are becoming increasingly common in West Africa. The region has become a key transit hub for drugs from Latin America and Southwest Asia destined for Europe, according to a U.N. report released earlier this year.

Guinea-Bissau in particular is known as a preferred route for international drug cartels. Earlier this year, the son of the country’s former president, Malam Bacai Sanha, was sentenced to more than six years in prison by a U.S. court for leading an international heroin trafficking ring.

The cocaine seizure on Saturday was carried out in close cooperation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre–Narcotics, a European organization, the judicial police said in its statement.

Neighboring Senegal also announced a record-breaking cocaine seizure of 1137 kilograms (2,506 pounds) — the most ever intercepted on land and valued at $146 million — near an artisanal mine in the east of the country earlier this year.

AP

More than 30 inmates escape from Liberia prison

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Eka-Yusuf
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Reported on monday, outside Liberia’s capital over the weekend, a large number of inmates escaped from a maximum security prison

The 47 inmates were able to escape because of a breach in the prison security system, the Justice Ministry said in a statement. The prison is in Kakata, a town 55 kilometres (34 miles) northeast of the capital, Monrovia.

The ministry said that it was “deeply concerned about this incident and is taking all necessary measures to ensure the recapture of the escaped inmates.”

The country’s national police have also deployed additional officers to assist in the search for the fugitives, the ministry said.

Prisons in Liberia are often severely overcrowded, and inmates lack access to enough food and basic medical care. Last year, a prison in Monrovia ran out of food, and two other prisons briefly stopped taking inmates because of food shortages.

A large number of inmates are also detained without a trial. In November 2022, a U.N. report found that 73% of the nationwide prison population were pretrial detainees.

AP

After a long 8 years of darkness Rivers communities celebrates restoration of power

By
Eka-Yusuf
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0

For the first time in eight years electricity has been supplied to 9 communities, the people of Khana LGA,s of Rivers express their joy.

The communities of Gbam Bonue, Kereken Boue, and Nyorkwiri Boue, among others, have been in a total blackout since 2016, this severely impacting local economic and social activities.

Hundreds of residents from these agrarian communities trooped out en mass, with many describing the restoration as a miracle.

The Paramount Ruler of the Gbam Boue community, Neeka Daasang, expressed disbelief at the return of power after years of darkness, noting that the development would enhance growth and revive local trade.

“We have endured prolonged darkness that has drastically hindered development, business, and security.

“The restoration of power to the community will usher in development and rejuvenate commerce in the area.

“We are delighted with this historic achievement that has given us something to hope for again,” he stated.

Daasang praised the Khana Caretaker Committee Chairman for the swift action taken after just three months in office.

Victor Oko-Jumbo, Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, lauded Yobana for his dedication to improving the living conditions of the Khana people.

Oko-Jumbo commended Yobana for clearing the backlog of electricity bills owed to the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED). He described the chairman as an exemplary leader who had set a high standard for others to emulate.

“This demonstrates the Khana chairman’s focus on governance and the needs of the Khana people,” he said.

Oko-Jumbo affirmed that local government council elections would be held on October 5 despite calls for postponement.

Dr Malvin Yobana, the Khana Local Government Care Taker chairman, explained that after being appointed, his administration initiated the Rural Electrification Rehabilitation Project to end the years his people spent in darkness.

He wondered why residents had been allowed to live in darkness for so long under successive administrations.“After assuming office, Gov. Siminalayi Fubara urged us to address the needs and aspirations of our people.

“Later, we brainstormed on how to use our lean resources at our disposal to alleviate the sufferings of people of the area.

“This led to the decision to embark on the rural electrification rehabilitation project to restore electricity to long-neglected areas,” he said.

Yobana commended the Boue and Gwara communities for protecting existing electrical infrastructure despite the prolonged lack of power.

News Agency Of Nigeria

Maiduguri zoo affected by flood causing animals to escape

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Eka-Yusuf
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some animals are seen wondering around, leaving residents staying around Sanda Kyarimi zoo confused.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that an Ostrich and a crocodile have already escaped as the flood rages on, raising fears that others like elephants, lions, and snakes domiciled in the zoo may find their way out at any moment.

While one of the crocodiles that escaped was found dead after it was attacked by some unidentified person, the Ostrich has been wandering. When contacted, the Director, of Forest and Wildlife, Ayuba Peter, who said the incident took them unawares, confirmed that the Zoo Manager had intimated him about the recent development.

Peter said roads around the area have been blocked to stop human movement, while wildlife staff were patrolling to pick up any animal that escaped, particularly the carnivores.

Meanwhile, a reliable source in the zoo told NAN that about 80% of the animals in the zoo, particularly the carnivores who can’t escape due to their locked facility are dead, while others like snakes and crocodiles have been washed away by the flood.

NAN reports that the raging flood from the collapsed Alau Dam has continued to submerge many areas in Maiduguri and its environs.

News Agency Of Nigeria


 The rescue of two siblings from kidnappers and recovered stolen vehicles in ANAMBRA

By
Eka-Yusuf
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0

On Monday,The Nigerian Hunters and Forest Security Service (NHFSS), operatives rescued a kidnap victim along the Nri-Enugwu-Ukwu road between Anaocha and Njikoka LGA’s of Anambra.

This is contained in a statement by the Zonal Commander of NHFSS in the South East, ACG Mark Okonkwo, on Tuesday in Abuja. Okonkwo said that the successful operation took place barely three weeks after the rescue of two siblings from kidnappers and recovered stolen vehicles around the Nkwelle-Ezunaka axis of Oyi Local Government Area of the state.

He said that the hunters received a distress call at 2000 hours on Sunday from a passer-by, who saw some people forcing someone into a vehicle along the aforementioned route. Okonkwo said he immediately mobilised his men for a rescue mission and followed the direction from the Intel.

“On sighting us, the hoodlums began to shoot sporadically to stop them, but they gallantly surged on and the hoodlums swiftly sped off throwing their captive away from the vehicle.

“Our rapid response to the situation yielded positive results and we were able to rescue a woman, who was thrown out from the kidnappers’ speeding vehicle.

“We equally recovered a stolen vehicle at the scene,” he said.

Okonkwo said the hunters also recovered another vehicle allegedly stolen at gunpoint along the Neni-Nimo road border between Anaocha and Njikoka council areas on August 25. He said that phone numbers in the documents found inside the vehicle helped them locate the owner of the vehicle, who eventually identified it as his car.

According to the owner, one Christian Ozonyiama, a native of Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State, said his vehicle was snatched at gunpoint on that fateful day along Neni-Nimo road.

“The 61-year-old, who resides at Nnewi, said he was going to Nnewi from Awka around 8pm on August 25, when some armed men disguised as vigilante operatives flagged his vehicle and another down along Neni-Nimo road.

“Ozonyiama said he initially mistook them for vigilantes as they blocked the road to search the missionary bus before him and freed it.

“He said it was when they bundled him out of his car and ordered him to sit on the ground that it dawned on him that they were not vigilante operatives, but kidnappers.

“They abandoned him on the deadly lonely Neni-Nimo road that fateful night and zoomed off with his Toyota HighLander Sport Utility Vehicle.”

Okonkwo appreciated the Deputy Commander-General (Technical Services), Dr John Metchie, for his unwavering support in ensuring that they carry out prompt rescue operations in Anambra and South East zone to curb criminalities.

He also extolled the Commander-General of NHFSS, Dr Joshua Osatimehin, for his leadership of the service by ensuring discipline, diligence, gallantry and rapid response to rescue missions across Nigeria.

News Agency Of Nigeria

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