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

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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

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.

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Rivers DPOs Receive Awards For Outstanding Performance In Crime Prevention …As Students, Media Group Honour CSP Worgu, CSP Yusuf

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Two Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) in Rivers State have been honoured by separate groups for their contributions to security, crime prevention and improved community-police relations in their respective areas of responsibility.

The beneficiaries are the DPO of Afam Police Division, CSP  Endurance Worgu and his counterpart at Oyigbo Police Division, CSP Bello Yusuf.

CSP Worgu was honoured by a group of students under the aegis of Rivers State Graduate Students Associations for what they described as his commitment and outstanding performance in the discharge of his duties.

The students, led by  Chidi John Enyie, Esq. said CSP Worgu was selected based on his track record and status as one of the longest-serving young DPOs of Rivers State origin.

According to the group, CSP Worgu has made significant contributions to the protection of lives and property in the area since assuming office following the #EndSARS period.

The students said they were particularly impressed by the improvement in community-police relations under his leadership, noting that professionalism had remained a key feature of his service.

Enyie represented by Comrade Briggs Soku, said the students community was pleased to identify with a Rivers indigene who had distinguished himself in the police force.

He said the students considered it necessary to encourage and celebrate CSP Worgu because of his achievements as a young Rivers man excelling in a profession that many people from the state were often reluctant to join.

Receiving the award at his office in Afam, CSP Worgu expressed gratitude to God and the students for finding him worthy of the honour.

The DPO said the recognition had boosted his morale and encouraged him to sustain his efforts towards maintaining peace and security in the area.

He said he least expected the honour, particularly because it came from the students, adding that the recognition would further motivate him to serve the people better.

CSP Worgu assured residents of Afam that the police would sustain the existing peace in the area.

He appealed to members of the public to support the police by providing credible and timely information, stressing that useful information from residents would make the job of security personnel easier.

Meanwhile, the Ikwerre/Etche Media Association has also honoured the DPO of Oyigbo Police Division, CSP Bello Yusuf, for his efforts in tackling criminal activities in the area.

The media group presented the award following the swift tracking and arrest of five suspected kidnappers who had allegedly terrorised residents of the Kom-Kom axis and other parts of Oyigbo.

The group commended CSP Bello for what it described as his determined efforts to restore confidence and security in the affected communities, particularly Kom-Kom and Obeama.

According to the group, the arrest of the suspects demonstrated the DPO’s commitment to tackling criminality and safeguarding residents.

The media association said residents had received the development with relief, noting that the police action had sent a strong message to criminal elements operating in the area.

Responding, CSP Yusuf appreciated the group for the recognition and reaffirmed that there would be no room for criminality in Oyigbo.

He also commended the media for its role in disseminating credible information to the public, saying the media had remained supportive of the police in the fight against crime.

CSP Yusuf warned criminal elements operating in Oyigbo to leave the area or be prepared to face the full weight of the law.

He assured residents that the police would continue to pursue criminals and work to dismantle their hideouts, regardless of where they might be operating.

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College Of Bishops Endorses Tinubu, APC Candidates  For 2027 Polls

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The 5000 Achievers Christian Forum and Colleges of Bishops, Archbishops and Apostles, a Christian interdenominational organisation, has endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State for the 2027 general elections.

International President of the forum, Archbishop Lucky Aroh, disclosed this during the ordination and consecration of three new Bishops, as well as an award ceremony held in Port Harcourt.

Aroh said the performance of the APC-led Federal Government had endeared the party to the organisation, prompting the forum to declare its support for President Tinubu and other APC candidates in Rivers State.

He said the forum would support all APC candidates in the state during the 2027 elections and urged Nigerians to vote for the party.

Aroh, who is also the General Overseer of Caring Peoples Church, Port Harcourt, charged the newly consecrated Bishops to see their new positions as a great responsibility and dedicate themselves to the advancement of the kingdom of God.

He cautioned them against conduct capable of bringing their offices into disrepute, stressing that their activities would be closely watched by members of the public.

“As Bishops, the eyes of the public are on your activities. You must therefore conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of your calling,” he said.

Also speaking, the International Coordinator of the forum, Bishop Saint Robinson, urged the newly consecrated Bishops to work diligently towards winning souls for the kingdom of God.

Robinson, who was the guest speaker at the event, stressed that the activities of Bishops must at all times be guided by godly principles.

He also called on members of the church to support and cooperate with the newly consecrated Bishops in the discharge of their responsibilities.

The Secretary of the College, Apostle Elizabeth Ayadi Abaye, said the organisation was established to advance the kingdom of God and promote spiritual development.

According to her, the forum has organised several crusades, conferences, prayer meetings, ordinations, consecrations, enthronements, empowerment programmes and other spiritual development activities across the country as part of efforts to win souls for Christ.

Abaye said the organisation has members across the world and disclosed that more programmes had been scheduled to promote the spiritual development and wellbeing of humanity.

The three Bishops consecrated at the ceremony were Prince Alban Chike, Testimony Omenihu Shedrach and Prince Ifemena.

Among those honoured at the event were the Chairman of the Community Development Committee (CDC), Abali Community, Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, Manuchimso Prince Lemmy Wopara, and Clifford Oko Jaja, Coordinator of the 5,000 House-to-House for President Tinubu.

By: John Bibor

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Police Arrest Fake Soldier, Others For Armed Robbery, Kidnapping

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The Rivers State Police Command has arrested a 49-year-old suspected fake soldier, Andrew Atausi, and several other suspects in connection with various criminal activities, including kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, one-chance robbery and the alleged murder of police officers.

The State Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, disclosed this in Port Harcourt, recently during a press briefing at the Command Headquarters, where he said the arrests formed part of the operational achievements recorded by the Command between June and August 2026.

Adepoju said Atausi was arrested on August 10 by police operatives along Ada George, Port Harcourt, while dressed in military uniform and driving a Toyota Hilux painted in Army colours.

The Commissioner said investigation revealed that Atausi was not a member of the Armed Forces, adding that he was suspected to be a serial car snatcher, with three suspected stolen vehicles recovered from him.

He said the recovered vehicles included three Toyota Hilux vehicles without registration numbers and a Toyota Corona Premio with registration number BNY 380 ES, noting that the chassis and engine numbers of the vehicles had allegedly been tampered with.

Adepoju added that an axe and military accoutrements were also recovered from Atausi, as investigation continued into the circumstances surrounding the vehicles and other items recovered from him.

On the June 29 attack on police officers at Aluu Division, the Commissioner said three members of the gang allegedly responsible for the incident had been arrested by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit, VCRU-AKU.

The suspects, identified as Maduabuchi Emeka, 34, alleged gang leader; Doctor Chinedu Owhor, 42, and Kamachi Joe, 28, alleged armourer, reportedly led operatives to their hideout at Omagwa where two AK-47 rifles stolen during the attack were recovered.

Adepoju recalled that two police officers were killed during the Aluu attack, while others were wounded and one officer had his leg amputated, stressing that efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fourth suspect.

On kidnapping, the Commissioner said five members of a suspected kidnapping syndicate were arrested in Oyigbo Local Government Area, adding that they allegedly confessed to operations in Kom-Kom, Railway, Obeama and Afam communities.

He said two other suspects from the same network, Anele Ogbogu, 35, alleged to be the gang’s armourer, and Kenneth Eke, 38, were arrested on July 27, with one AK-47 rifle and one SMG rifle recovered.

The Commissioner further disclosed the arrest of suspects in connection with alleged firearm offences, armed robbery, cultism and one-chance robbery, with firearms, ammunition and other exhibits recovered during the operations.

Adepoju assured residents that the Command would sustain intelligence-led, proactive and community-oriented policing in collaboration with other security agencies, while urging members of the public to continue providing credible information that would assist the police in combating crime across Rivers State.

By; King Onunwor

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