Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to partner with local government councils that prioritize the welfare and development of people at the grassroots.

Fubara stated this last Thursday in Nkoro Town during the commissioning of the newly built Sir Siminalayi Fubara Corps Members’ Lodge, executed by  Hon. James A. James, the Chairman of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area.

Represented by his Chief of Staff,  Mr  Sunny Ewule, the governor said the project goes beyond a building to represent hope, hospitality and responsible leadership.

According to him, providing decent and safe accommodation for Nationl Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members who leave their comfort zones to serve in communities is the least government can do.

“Today we are not just commissioning  a building, we are commissioning hope, hospitality and responsible leadership. The Chairman of Opobo/ Nkoro LGA,  Hon. James A. James has understood a very simple truth that those who come to serve us must serve with dignity,.

“Our young graduates who serves under the NYSC scheme leave the comfort of their homes and travel far to contribute to our communities, they teach our children, they  work in our health centres, and they become parts of our families.

“The least we can do is give them a decent, safe and befitting place to lay their heads. What Hon. James A. James has done today is in total alignment with the vision of  this administration, an administration that believes in people, that prioritises welfare and that believes development must be felt in every local government and not just in Port Harcourt” he said.

Fubara further urged the beneficiaries of the corpers lodge to make good use of the facilities of the newly built  edifice and be  good ambassadors of Nigeria,  respect the culture and traditions of the host community while  continue to serve with dedication and patriotism.

“This Corpers lodge will enhance the security and welfare of serving corps members, boost their morale and make Opobo/Nkoro and even more attractive place for posting, it is a strategic investment in human capital and in peace building,” he said.

He commended the Opobo/Nkoro Council Chairman for aligning with his administration’s vision of ensuring development is felt in all 23 local government areas of the State, and not just in Port Harcourt, adding that the lodge is a strategic investment in human capital, security and peace building.

In his goodwill message, the Rivers State NYSC Coordinator, Mr. Moses Oleghe, said the accommodation was 85 percent of Corps members’ challenges.

Oleghe thanked Governor Fubara for the recent  increase in the  State allowances for Corps members to N35,000 for those in 21 rural areas and N20,000 for those in Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt City LGAs, describing the gesture as a moral booster for the corps members.

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, has secured an offer of specialised training for up to 5,000 Nigerian police personnel under a proposed security cooperation involving Nigeria, the United States and Italy.

The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, disclosed this in a statement issued at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, at the weekend.

The initiative is aimed at strengthening the operational capacity of the Nigeria Police Force to tackle insurgency, terrorism, kidnapping, arms trafficking and other emerging security threats across the country.

According to the statement, the proposed training programme will focus on counter-insurgency operations, intelligence-led patrols and tactical operations, particularly in difficult rural and forested environments.

Other areas of training include critical infrastructure protection, digital and scientific forensics, cybercrime investigations, explosives detection, financial investigations, asset tracing and anti-extortion operations.

The programme is expected to extend beyond the Police Mobile Force to other specialised units, including explosive ordnance disposal and forensic teams.

As part of the engagement, Disu met with the Commander-General of the Italian Carabinieri, Lieutenant-General Salvatore Luongo, to explore areas of technical assistance, professional training and institutional cooperation.

The police chief and his delegation also visited the Carabinieri Centre of Excellence for Stability Police Units in Vicenza, Italy, where they assessed training facilities and explored opportunities to adapt specialised policing programmes to Nigeria’s security needs.

Proposals discussed during the visit included command courses for 40 senior police officers, leadership training for 100 junior commanders and the deployment of a mobile assistance team to support Police Mobile Force training schools in Gwoza, Borno State, and Ila-Orangun, Osun State.

The discussions also covered the development of a national stability policing doctrine and standard operating procedures to improve professionalism, operational coordination and civilian protection, particularly in communities recovering from conflict.

Other areas of proposed cooperation include canine operations, forensic science and mounted policing, including horse breeding and local capacity development for effective public order management.

To formalise the proposed partnership, the IGP has initiated moves towards a Memorandum of Understanding covering specialised training, technology transfer and operational procedures.

He also invited an Italian Carabinieri assessment team to Abuja to identify priority needs and develop implementation arrangements.

Disu reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to international partnerships that will strengthen operational readiness, improve investigative capacity and enhance the protection of lives and property.

The statement did not, however, indicate when the proposed training programme would commence or provide a definite implementation timetable.

Fresh fears of an Ebola outbreak have emerged in the country following the identification and isolation of two suspected cases in the North-East.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) disclosed on Saturday that laboratory tests were being conducted on the two individuals, while contact tracing had commenced to identify people who might have been exposed to the virus.

The agency, however, cautioned that the classification of the individuals as suspected cases did not mean they had tested positive for Ebola, stressing that confirmation would depend on laboratory results.

In an update posted on its X handle, the NCDC said both individuals had been isolated and contact identification and listing were ongoing.

“Two suspected cases of Ebola disease have been identified in Nigeria’s North-East region. Both individuals have been isolated, contact identification and listing is ongoing, and laboratory testing is being conducted,” the agency stated.

“Being classified as suspected cases does not mean they are confirmed Ebola cases; confirmation is subject to laboratory results,” NCDC explained.

The Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, also confirmed the development in a post on his LinkedIn page, saying rapid response teams had intensified surveillance and were tracking the recent movements of the suspected cases within the country.

He urged Nigerians to avoid speculation and the circulation of unverified information while observing basic hygiene measures, including regular handwashing and the use of alcohol-based sanitisers.

Idris also advised anyone experiencing unusual symptoms to seek immediate medical attention at designated health facilities, promising further updates when laboratory results were confirmed.

Meanwhile, NCDC said laboratory results for the two suspected cases were expected within 12 hours of receiving their samples, as health authorities intensify surveillance to prevent the spread of the disease.

The NCDC Incident Manager for Ebola, Dr Odianosen Ehiakhamen, disclosed this during an appearance on the Nigerian Television Authority’s Weekend File programme on Saturday evening.

He said the samples were taken to the laboratory on Saturday afternoon, but testing was still ongoing as of Saturday night, with the agency awaiting the findings to determine the next line of response.

He added that the affected state had commenced contact tracing while awaiting the laboratory results.

“As I was coming to the studio, we were still running those samples, and I am sure when those results are available, they will be sent to the state concerned,” he said.

Ehiakhamen stressed that the two individuals remained suspected cases and that their status would only be established after laboratory testing.

The incident manager explained that contact tracing was central to preventing further transmission, adding that people identified as contacts should not be confused with confirmed cases.

“Contact tracing and surveillance are key to epidemic response. For us, our first case, we were able to identify 62 contacts. It is important that we note that contacts are not cases. They are people who have been exposed directly or indirectly to the confirmed case,” he said.

Ehiakhamen disclosed that six people who had completed the required 21-day monitoring period without developing symptoms were expected to leave the quarantine facility on Sunday (yesterday).

The group included three people who had managed the patient at health facilities, two members of her domestic staff and her driver.

The NCDC urged the public to remain vigilant, practise good hygiene and follow official guidance as laboratory investigations and contact tracing continue.

The development comes days after the Federal Government confirmed Nigeria’s first imported case of Ebola virus disease in Abuja on October 20, 2026.

The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, had said the infected woman arrived in Nigeria from Uganda and developed symptoms on October 7 before seeking medical attention at a private hospital in Abuja on October 11.

Following the confirmation, health authorities initially identified 44 contacts, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and people who might have travelled with the patient. The number subsequently increased to 53, with those identified placed under surveillance.

The infected woman was evacuated to Switzerland on October 26 alongside her husband, who had remained asymptomatic.

Pate said she was clinically stable at the time of evacuation but warned that she could still transmit the virus.

Meanwhile, a Professor of Public Health and Epidemiology at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, Aisha Abubakar, said it was too early to determine whether the two newly suspected cases in the North-East were imported infections or locally transmitted.

She said the NCDC had yet to provide information about the individuals’ travel history, possible exposure or relationship with the previously confirmed case.

“For these two suspected cases now, we don’t have any information apart from what the NCDC have said. We are waiting for more clarity on whether these are imported cases or whether they are contacts of the confirmed case that we had on the 20th,” she said.

Abubakar urged the NCDC to provide further details about the suspected cases to enable Nigerians to understand the situation and the appropriate preventive measures.

She said monitoring identified contacts was necessary to determine whether exposed individuals developed symptoms and to prevent possible further transmission.

The epidemiologist also called on the Federal Government to strengthen disease surveillance, public awareness and emergency response mechanisms, noting that Nigeria’s international travel connections made preparedness particularly important.

“Nigeria is a very popular destination and Nigerians are also avid travellers. So, we need to be prepared. When the outbreak started and there started to be exportations of the disease in different countries, it was not a matter of whether we would have infection,” she said.

She advised Nigerians returning from countries experiencing Ebola outbreaks to report to health authorities if they developed symptoms such as fever, tiredness, sore throat, vomiting and diarrhoea.