The Oyo State government, in collaboration with Malaria Consortium, has launched the second phase of the Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention Campaign (SMC).

The campaign aims to achieve zero malaria prevalence in children under five in the state.

This is contained in a statement by the coordinating director, Gideon Alade, in Ibadan on Saturday.

He said the programme had been inaugurated in the Saki West Local Government Area of the state, targeting the prevention of malaria in children three to 59 months during the peak of the malaria season.

The permanent secretary, Oyo State Ministry of Health, Olusoji Adeyanju, reiterated Governor Seyi Makinde-led administration’s commitment to significantly reduce malaria cases among children under five and pregnant women.

Mr Adeyanju said it was essential for parents and guardians to present their children to health workers for drug administration.

He said the children within the age bracket were expected to take chemoprevention drugs monthly for five months.

“The second round of Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention distribution commenced on June 16, 2023, and will last till Monday, June 19, 2023.

“Distribution will be carried out monthly for four days each month. The drugs will be repeated every 28 days from June to October 2023.

“The present drugs SPAQ that will be distributed are free, and they do not cure malaria, but they prevent Malaria. It doesn’t work alone; we have to ensure that our children also sleep inside the net. Our environment should be clean without mosquito breeding sites.”

Mr Adeyanju appreciated the healthcare providers implementing the process and the Malaria Consortium Team for their support.

He said the mass distribution of malaria preventive drugs in the state had significantly reduced malaria cases in children between three to 59 months in Oyo state to 52 per cent from 72 per cent.

“The implementation commenced last year with an overall coverage of 102 per cent in which about 290,000 children were reached.”

He, however, sought the support of stakeholders in concerned communities to ensure success in the implementation.

Earlier, the wife of the chairman of Saki West Local Government, Funmi Akinola, expressed the readiness of the government to continually give the project all the necessary support.

The Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention will be administered in six local governments with the highest malaria burden, which includes Irepo, Olorunsogo and Ogbomoso North.

The police command in Plateau has rescued six out of the seven students of the University of Jos that were kidnapped by gunmen on Monday.

DSP Alfred Alabo, the spokesman of the command, disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Jos.

He said five of the students were rescued, while one escaped from the kidnappers’ den unhurt.

“The Police command is pleased to announce to the general public that six of the seven victims who were kidnapped on June 13, have regained their freedom.

“The command swung into action immediately after the incident was reported, worked tirelessly in collaboration with its Anti-Kidnapping unit, family members of the victims and the community to secure the release of the victims.

“Five of the victims were rescued, one escaped from the kidnappers’ den, while one victim is still in captivity,” Mr Alabo said.

He said that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Bartholomew Onyeka, has ordered the Area Commander Metro, and the Divisional Police Officer Nasarawa Gwong, to ensure that the seventh victim is rescued unhurt and the perpetrators arrested.

The victims were abducted from their hostel located off campus on Monday night in Jos while preparing for second semester examinations.

The leadership of the Ijaw National Congress has declared seven days of mourning in Ijaw land following the deaths of 10 Ijaw sons and daughters in separate accidents that occurred on Sunday.

While six of the deceased, who were members of the Barrister Smooth Musical Band died in the crash that happened along the Kogi-Abuja Highway on their way to Abuja, the other four, supporters of Bayelsa Queen Football Club, died in the accident that occurred around the Kwale-Asaba Road in Delta State.

The INC President, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, in a statement on Thursday titled, “Ijaw nation mourns deaths of musicians, football supporters”, on behalf of the pan-Ijaw socio-cultural organisation’s national executive committee and its Board of Trustees, said the entire Ijaw nation was deeply heartbroken by the tragic loss.

Okaba said,

“The INC is deeply saddened by the unfortunate and sad twin tragic incidents that claimed the lives of these talented Ijaw musicians and lovers of football who were following their passion. It was indeed a Black Sunday in the entire Ijaw nation.

“We are particularly pained and sorrowed by the fact that these Ijaw patriots died in their prime and the Ijaw nation and Nigeria in general would not be able to benefit from their huge musical skills, and dedication to the promotion of football as a sport.

“As a result of this calamity that has befallen the Ijaw nation, the INC declares seven days of mourning across Ijaw land. In this regard, we equally advise that all INC flags across Ijaw land be flown at half-mast as a mark of honour for our departed brothers and sisters during this period of sorrow.

“Also, all activities at the international headquarters of the INC in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, remain suspended during this period of mourning in Ijaw nation.”

The INC commiserated with Governors Douye Diri, Sheriff Oborevwori and Siminialayi Fubara as well as the government and good people of Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers States on the untimely demises of the 10 Ijaw youths.

Okaba also expressed condolences to their families, communities, Barrister Smooth and his band members and the management of Bayelsa Queens FC.

He particularly commended Diri “for demonstrating compassion and love as a great leader of the Ijaw nation concerning the condition of the survivors of the accidents.”

The INC prayed that the Almighty God would comfort the families of the deceased over the irreparable loss that they have suffered and grant eternal repose to the souls of the departed Ijaw youths.

The Lagos State Police Command has rescued a baby girl from under a parked bus in the Ketu area of the state.

The healthy baby girl was taken into safe custody after a resident heard her cry from under a bus at about 4:30 am on Wednesday.

The Spokesperson for the command, Benjamin Hundeyin, made this known on his Twitter page on Thursday, revealing that investigations were ongoing.

Sharing a picture of the child, he tweeted,

“A Lagosian set out for work at about 4:30 am yesterday and heard the cry of a baby under a parked bus somewhere in Mile 12 Ketu.

“Police officers from Ketu Division, after being alerted, have taken the healthy baby girl into safe custody. Investigation is ongoing.”

Nigerian tallest man Afeez Agoro Oladimeji dies at 48 after suffering from prolonged sickness.

Afeez, who stood 7 ft 4 had reportedly been ill for months due to reported battle battle with chronic hip arthritis.

It was gathered that he was rushed to Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, yesterday evening, June 14, after he developed some complications weeks after he sought financial help in order to undergo surgery.

He died around 7:30pm last night.

On Wednesday, the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) unveiled a Country Strategic Plan (CSP) for Nigeria worth $2.5 billion.

The CSP aims to address hunger and malnutrition in some parts of the North-East, North-West and other selected states.

Borno, Yobe, Taraba and Adamawa in North East, Sokoto, Zamfara and Katsina in the North West, and Cross River are the states to benefit.

The WFP country director, David Stevenson, disclosed this at a joint press conference with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.

Mr Stevenson explained that CSP defines WFP’s entire portfolio of assistance within the country for five years, effective 2023 to 2027.

“The country strategy is valued at $2.56 billion, and it’s more than $500 million a year assistance for Nigeria to achieve food security and improve nutrition by 2030,” he disclosed.

He said the CSP was designed to support Nigeria in achieving food security and improved nutrition by 2030, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 2) and that the CSP would contribute to progress in good health and well-being, inclusive education, gender equality and climate action as well as foster a reinforced partnership in strengthening the national humanitarian and development response in accordance with the SDGs.

“My job as country representative in Nigeria is effectively running a big business, a business that is valued at about $1 million every day of assistance,” stated the WFP official.

“And we are signing contracts with Nigerian companies, with Nigerian civil societies every day, to get the food assistance to where it’s needed.”

He further mentioned that the WFP operates a food system that sees conflict as the enemy of progress, adding that WFP was making significant investments in the Nigerian economy by buying and investing locally, “all of this is aligned with Nigeria’s national development plan, with the Nigeria agenda 2050.”

Clergyman Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere, says he has forgiven security boys, Happie Boys, who came online to accuse him of abandoning them in Cyprus.

The clergyman flew them to Cyprus on scholarship after they were sacked from an eatery they were previously working for recording themselves dancing while on duty and posting the video online.

In a post shared online on Tuesday, June 13, the boys alleged that the clergyman has abandoned them.

They alleged that he took care of them for six months when they got to Cyprus and has abandoned them since then. They also shared a voicenote of the clergyman cursing them.

In a post shared on his Facebook page, the clergyman explained that because of the Dollar rate, which became a heavy financial burden on him in paying school fees for over 4,000 persons on my scholarship programme, he decided to place the scholarship funding on hold to see if the dollar will come down.

He mentioned that he communicated to every parents and gave them options either to return to Nigeria and continue their studies or Benin Republic.

He added that he has forgiven Happie Boys and has asked them to return to any University in Nigeria or Benin republic to continue their education.

Chef Hilda Baci broke down in tears after receiving the news of her certification as the new record holder for the longest cooking by an individual.

The GWR, in a statement on its website on Tuesday, said, “Following a thorough review of all the evidence, Guinness World Records can now confirm that Hilda Effiong Bassey, better known as Hilda Baci, has officially broken the record for the longest cooking marathon (individual), with a time of 93 hours 11 minutes.

“In a video on her Instagram Story, Baci was seen in tears as she received the news about her new achievement.

Hilda attempted to set a record of 100 hours, however, almost seven hours were deducted from her final total because she mistakenly took extra minutes for one of her rest breaks early on in the attempt.

The police command in Delta says it killed a suspected kidnapper and arrested one other in Abraka, Ethiope East council area.

Police spokesman Bright Edafe disclosed this on Monday in Warri.

He said one person rescued from the kidnappers on Sunday was reunited with his family.

Mr Edafe said a four-man kidnap gang operating with a Lexus SUV with registration number KSF 315 HF abducted the victim at a petrol station in Abraka.

He said the divisional police officer in Abraka, SP Fabian Ayameh, was alerted of the kidnap while on routine patrol.

“The team swiftly mobilised and went on the trail of the kidnappers. The suspects, noticing that the policemen were closing in on them, fired gunshots while trying to escape, and the police responded,” the police spokesman narrated.

“Due to the superior firepower of the police, their operational vehicle was successfully demobilized. The hoodlums abandoned the victim and jumped out of the vehicle.”

Mr Edafe added;

“They ran in different directions while firing gunshots in a bid to escape. The policemen engaged them in a gun duel and successfully neutralised one of them and arrested another with serious gunshot injuries while two others escaped.”

The police officer said one AK-47 rifle with breech number 06571 without a magazine was seized, adding that a manhunt for the fleeing members of the gang was ongoing.