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Ebola: Eight Nigerian Patients To Receive Experimental Drugs …As FG Confirms Another Doctor Positive, Nurse Dead

Published

12 years ago

August 15, 2014

Rivers State Deputy Governor, Engr. Tele Ikuru (centre) listens as Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Barr. Chuma Chinye, explains functions of some equipment for distribution to beneficiaries

In new developments just reported by the United States’ Wall Street Journal, eight Nigerians infected with Ebola will be given doses of the experimental treatment Nano Silver.
Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, announced that the experimental drug came from a Nigerian scientist, whose name has not yet been disclosed.
As an experimental treatment, there is much mystery surrounding Nano Silver.
Dr. Simon Agwale, a contagious disease expert, said Nano Silver had proven effective against viruses, parasites, and bacteria.
The news comes the same day a third person, a nurse who treated Liberian Patrick Sawyer, dies in Lagos of the virus.
The Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, yesterday in Abuja said another Nigerian doctor has tested positive to the deadly Ebola disease.
The doctor’s case increases the number of people infected with the disease to 11, including the three confirmed deaths. One of the earlier confirmed infections was also a doctor.
“The total number of confirmed cases is 11, out of this 11, three are dead. The three that are dead are: the index case, a Liberian-American; a Nigerian nurse who was among those that managed the index case; and a Nigerian who was serving as a protocol officer with the ECOWAS,” Chukwu said.
However, few minutes after the minister’s briefing, it was learnt that another nurse that treated the Liberian-American, Patrick Sawyer, died yesterday morning at the Lagos hospital where those being quarantined are kept.
Chukwu also said that more than half of the eight people quarantined are doing well and showing signs of recovery.
Altogether, the minister also said that 169 people are still under surveillance: 163 in Lagos and 6 in Enugu.
The 169 is a downslide from 198 previously under surveillance, indicating some of those under surveillance, including 15 in Enugu, have been discharged.
Those under surveillance in Enugu are those believed to have had contact with a nurse who escaped quarantine in Lagos and travelled to Enugu to meet her husband.
Chukwu said the nurse and her husband were moved in a special ambulance to the Lagos treatment centre.
He also said that an experimental drug, NanoSilver, provided by a Nigerian scientist, was expected to have reached the treatment centre yesterday.
He said all protocol and guidelines would be followed before the drug is administered on the patients.
He noted that this will go on while the Federal Government makes attempt to buy into ZMapp produced by a biotechnology firm, Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc., in San Diego, United States.
The minister said the drug would also be vetted by the technical committee group before administration.
However, another nurse, Justina Obi Echelonu, who attended to late Liberian Patrick Sawyer while he was ill at the First Consultant hospital in Lagos, has died.
The 25-year old Justina died yesterday morning in a quarantine facility in Lagos.
Echelonu, one of those who had primary contacts with Patrick Sawyer at a Lagos Hospital where he received treatment after he was rushed from the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos where he collapsed, was very vocal in the campaign for the release of the ZMapp experimental drug to Nigerian Ebola disease patients.
She was previously working at Otunba Tunwase National Peadiatric Centre, Ijebu Ode in Ogun State before relocating to Lagos to work at First Consultant Hospital, Obalande months ago.
Her relatives confirmed the news.
Also confirming the news of her death, Abia State Governor, Theodore Orji regretted the demise of the nurse, and commended her for her selfless service to the nation. In a statement issued on Thursday afternoon, the governor prayed for the repose of the dead.
He said: “My heart bleeds as I write this. On behalf my family, the government and the good people of Abia State, I commiserate with family, friends and colleagues of our dear lady nurse, Justina Echelonu, who died following the contact she had with the Liberian American, Mr. Patrick Sawyer, in the course of discharging her duty as a nurse. I pray God to give them the fortitude to bear this tragic and irreparable loss. Rest in Peace Ms Justina Echelonu.”
Similarly, Minister of Health, Professor Chukwu Onyebuchi, said at a press briefing in Abuja yesterday that 15 out of the 21 people quarantined and put under surveillance over Ebola have been cleared.
He said, “15 of the quarantined people in Lagos have been cleared, while the remaining six are still under surveillance.
“As of now, we have 11 confirmed cases in Nigeria, out of which three have died. More than half of the remaining eight are responding well to treatment.”
Nonetheless, Nigerian women under the auspices of the Association of Market Women and Men in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), yesterday, insisted that apology tendered by the Liberian authorities over the importation of Ebola virus into Nigeria by Liberian man, Patrick Sawyer, was not enough.
They said the Liberia government had more explanations to give to Nigeria and Nigerians over permission given to the late Sawyer, having got the knowledge of his health status as carrier of Ebola virus.
The Liberian President, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, on CNN news had said that Mr Sawyer was indisciplined and disrespectful for failing to heed medical advice not to travel.
Already, people through the social network are raising questions, challenging the competence of Liberia’s Deputy Finance Minister, Sebastian Omar, who cleared late Sawyer to travel to Nigeria for ECOWAS conference.
The President, Association of Market Women and Men, Chief Mrs Felicia Sani while speaking during a National Workshop on Security Awareness and Sensitization Campaign on Ebola Virus for Market Women in FCT organized by the National Orientation Agency (NOA), in Abuja, said although Liberia government had apologized, it was not enough for the enormity of loss their act had caused the country.
“Liberian Ambassador to Nigeria has apologised, but he has more explanations to give to Nigeria and her citizens,” she insisted.
Meanwhile, The World Health Organization said this week that 170 health care workers had been infected and at least 81 had died.
Sierra Leonean doctor Modupeh Cole became the latest medical practitioner to die of Ebola, a health ministry spokesman said on Tuesday.
He contracted the disease after treating a patient who later proved to have the virus and died. The country’s leading Ebola doctor, Shek Umar Khan, also died last month.
Eight Chinese health workers are in quarantine in Sierra Leone because they may have contracted Ebola, according to the spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Freetown, Xu Zhou.
The seven doctors and one nurse treated patients at two Chinese-run hospitals in Freetown who later died from Ebola. One of the doctors has emerged from quarantine after a 21-day observation period, Zhou told Reuters.
Despite the stir caused by ZMapp, preventive public health measures will be crucial to containing the outbreak, according to the U.N. health agency. As a result, West African and other governments, including some which have seen no cases of the virus, have taken measures intended to prevent the spread of the disease.
Guinea-Bissau has decided to close its frontier with eastern neighbour Guinea, Prime Minister Domingos Simoes Pereira told a news conference. Germany on Wednesday urged its nationals to leave Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, though the request did not apply to medical workers or German diplomatic staff, a foreign ministry spokesman said.
The outbreak has brought fresh attention to efforts to find a cure. Scientists in the United States studying Ebola say they have found how it blocks and disables the body’s ability to battle infections in a discovery that should help the search for potential cures and vaccines.
The scientists found that Ebola carries a protein called VP24 that interferes with a molecule called interferon, which is vital to the immune response.
“One of the key reasons that Ebola virus is so deadly is because it disrupts the body’s immune response to the infection,” said Chris Basler of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, who worked on the study.

News

Nigeria Exceeds OPEC Quota As Production Hits 11-month High

Published

4 days ago

June 12, 2026

The Tide

Nigeria’s crude oil production has surged to an 11-month high in May, 2026, with the country exceeding its Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) production quota.

The average crude oil production recorded during the month of May represents 102 per cent of Nigeria’s 1.5mbpd of production quota allocated by the OPEC.

The production report released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), yesterday, disclosed that Nigeria’s oil production averages 1,530,354 barrels of crude oil and 170,446 barrels of condensates per day (bpd).

According to the report, this brings the total combined production to 1, 700, 800 barrels per day and consolidating Nigeria’s position as Africa’s largest oil producer.

The report said the production performance during the review period remained robust, with combined crude oil and condensate output ranging between a low of 1.51 million bpd and a peak of 1.86 million bpd.

It said the May 2026 production figures represented the highest recorded by Nigeria since July 2025, when output surged to 1,712,282.

“In strict crude oil terms (excluding condensates), the 1.53 million barrels recorded in May 2026 represents the highest Nigeria has witnessed since January 2025 when crude oil production hit 1.538mbpd.

“The latest crude oil production statistics thus represents a 15-month high on a month on month basis, production rose by 2.77 per cent in May 2026 as against 1.48mbpd in April,” it said.

The report said the broader production trend over the last five months had also remained positive.

It said combined crude oil and condensate output increased from 1.48 million bpd in February to 1.54 million bpd in March, 1.66 million bpd in April, and then 1.7 million bpd in May, underscoring sustained growth in Nigeria’s hydrocarbon production levels.

According to the report, among production streams, Bonny Terminal led the pack with a total blend of 293,870 bpd, closely followed by Forcados Terminal at 289,900 bpd, Qua Iboe ranked third with 173,360 bpd, while Escravos Oil Terminal contributed 135,470 bpd.

It said the Odudu (Amenam Blend) completed the top five production streams, accounting for 63,250 bpd during the month under review.

The NUPRC attributes the rise in production to a sustained positive momentum as operations remained stable throughout the reporting period with no significant pipeline or facility outages recorded.

Additionally, all previously scheduled turnaround maintenance activities had been successfully completed, contributing to improved operational reliability and production efficiency.

News

Reps Pass State Police Bill

Published

4 days ago

June 12, 2026

The Tide

The House of Representatives, yesterday passed a landmark constitutional amendment bill to establish state police nationwide, marking a significant milestone in Nigeria’s decades-long debate over decentralising policing and strengthening internal security.

The bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide for the Establishment of State Police and for Related Matters (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026,” was approved during consideration at the Committee of the Whole, presided over by Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas.

Voting commenced after the Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the House Committee on Constitution Review, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, presented the report on the proposal and canvassed support from lawmakers, stressing the need for a more decentralised policing framework to effectively address the country’s growing security challenges.

The exercise was conducted manually, with members raising their hands to indicate their positions. At the end of the voting, 289 lawmakers voted in support of the bill, one member abstained, while none voted against it, reflecting overwhelming bipartisan backing for the far-reaching reform.

The proposed amendment seeks to fundamentally restructure Nigeria’s policing architecture by creating both Federal and State Police formations.

One of the bill’s key provisions amends Section 214 of the 1999 Constitution to formally establish the Federal Police and the State Police. Under the proposal, the National Assembly would be empowered to prescribe the structure, organisation, administration and powers of the Federal Police, while also providing the legal framework and minimum standards for the establishment and operation of state police services.

The bill stipulates that no state police formation shall commence operations unless it is established by a law enacted by the relevant State House of Assembly and certified as complying with national minimum standards prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly.

It further provides that until a state police force becomes operational, the Federal Police shall continue to exercise policing powers and responsibilities within such states.

In a bid to preserve the autonomy of state police formations and prevent undue federal interference, the bill limits federal intervention in states’ internal security affairs. Under the proposal, the Federal Police may intervene only where there is a complete breakdown of law and order, upon the request of a governor or where a state police force becomes unable to function due to administrative, financial or other operational challenges.

The amendment also proposes significant changes to the police’s appointment and command structure.

Under the amended Section 215 of the Constitution, the Inspector-General of Police would be appointed by the President on the advice of the Nigeria Police Council from among serving members of the Federal Police, subject to confirmation by the National Assembly.

Similarly, a State Commissioner of Police would be appointed by a governor on the advice of the Nigeria Police Council from among serving officers of the State Police, subject to confirmation by the respective State House of Assembly.

The bill empowers governors to issue lawful directives to State Commissioners of Police on matters relating to public safety and the maintenance of law and order. However, where a commissioner considers such directives unlawful or inconsistent with accepted policing standards, the matter may be referred to the Nigeria Police Council, whose decision shall be final.

The proposal also amends Section 84 of the Constitution by replacing references to the “National Police Council and the Federal Police Service Commission” with the “Nigeria Police Council and the Police Service Commission.”

The passage of the bill by the House represents one of the most far-reaching security reforms contemplated since the return to democratic rule in 1999 and is expected to rekindle nationwide debate on issues relating to funding, accountability, operational control and safeguards against abuse.

With the House’s approval, the constitutional amendment bill will now proceed to the Senate for concurrence. Thereafter, it must secure the endorsement of at least two-thirds of the State Houses of Assembly and receive presidential assent before becoming part of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

If eventually enacted, the legislation would usher in a new era of multi-layered policing in Nigeria and could redefine the country’s approach to tackling banditry, terrorism, kidnapping and other forms of violent crimes through a more localised security architecture.

News

FG Declares Today Public Holiday To Mark Democracy Day

Published

5 days ago

June 12, 2026

The Tide

The Federal Government has declared today, public holiday to commemorate Nigeria’s 27 years of unbroken democratic rule.

This is contained in a statement in Abuja, by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Magdalene Ajani.

Ajani said that the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the declaration on behalf of the federal government.

Tunji-Ojo reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to the preservation of democratic ideals, rule of law, transparency, accountability and inclusive governance.

He assured that the ministry in collaboration with relevant security agencies woulsd continue to take appropriate measures in maintaining and strengthening Nigeria’s internal security.

The minister noted that a secured and stable environment was essential to democracy and national development.

He urged Nigerians to see the holiday as an opportunity for civic reflection.

“As we mark this historic day, every Nigerian is encouraged to remain law-abiding, uphold the institutions that sustain our democracy, and remember that the strength of any democracy lies ultimately in the character of its citizens,” he said.

He also said that June 12 every year remained a significant day in Nigeria’s history in honour of the courage, resilience and sacrifices of Nigerians whose efforts made democratic governance possible.

“Their legacies continue to inform the values and responsibilities of the Nigerian state,”Tunji-Ojo added.