News
New Serun Trial Set To End Ebola Scourge
A new drug known as ZMapp is being developed by a US Biotech company, Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc to check the deadly Ebola virus.
This is coming two days after two American humanitarian medical personnel working in Liberia and Sierra Leonne, Dr Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol were flown to the United States after contracting the virus.
Brantly is said to be back on his feet after receiving the highly experimental drug. Brantly and Writebol’s conditions significantly improved after receiving the medication, sources say.
Until it was administered on the two medical personnel, ZMapp has not been approved for human use and has not even gone through the clinical trial process, which is standard to prove the safety and efficacy of a medication. It may have been given under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s “compassionate use” regulation, which allows access to investigational drugs outside clinical trials.
Getting approval for compassionate use is often long and laborious, but in the case of Brantly and Writebol, they received the medication within seven to 10 days of their exposure to the Ebola virus.
The experimental drug, known as ZMapp, was developed by the biotech firm Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc., which is based in San Diego. The patients were told that the treatment had never been tried before in a human being but had shown promise in small experiments with monkeys.
According to company documents, four monkeys infected with Ebola survived after being given the therapy within 24 hours after infection. Two of four other monkeys that started therapy within 48 hours after infection also survived. One monkey that was not treated died within five days of exposure to the virus.
Already, the disease has claimed over 1603 lives according to World Health Organisation (WHO) records. The disease has ravaged many West African countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone and recently in Nigeria after a Liberian diplomat, Mr Patrick Sawyer died in Lagos after arriving in the country.
Hope had risen last week after a report indicated that scientists in the country have found cure for the disease. The report claimed a compound from Garcinia Kola (Bitter Kola), a plant commonly eaten in West Africa.
Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Iwu had led the research with a team of other scientists commissioned by the Bioresources Development and Conservation Programme in the USA.
The research was started 10 years ago, but Prof Iwu, who is currently with the Pharmagnosy Department in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka said the work was inconclusive.
He believed that further trials will lead to development of a drug in the future.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu has debunked reports that bitter kola can be used to cure the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
“As the minister of health, there is no scientific proof to show that bitter kola can be used for prevention or cure of Ebola virus,” Chukwu said.
He made the disclosure on Monday after a medical doctor who treated Mr Sawyer in Lagos was said to have shown signs of contracting the disease
Already, health authorities has kept under strict surveillance the 65 persons who made contact with the dead Liberian to avert further spread of the epidemic.
The minister said that efforts were being made to find a vaccine that could help in prevention of the disease and possibly its cure.
He said while health personnel were carrying out screenings at the borders, a technical working group will be inaugurated soon.
He also said directives have been issued that all dead bodies from the three endemic countries, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia should not be brought back into Nigeria.
The three countries, where more than 1200 people have been infected so far with the deadly virus, have recorded over 700 deaths due to the disease.
Ebola is said to be transmitted from fruit bats and apes to humans who hunt them for food and is further spread to other humans when they come in contact with the blood or body fluid of an infected person.
Symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, chills, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, sore throat, backache, and joint pains.
Later symptoms include bleeding from the eyes, ears and nose, bleeding from the mouth and rectum, eye swelling, swelling of the genitals and bloody rashes all over the body. There is no drug or vaccine yet to treat the virus that has an over 60 per cent fatality.
The Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, has been named Social Impact Man of the Year 2025 by Daily Independent Newspapers.
The award was presented at the Independent Awards 2025 Silver Jubilee Edition held at Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos, as part of activities marking the organisation’s 25th anniversary of editorial excellence.
Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of Independent Newspapers, Steve Omanufeme, said the award recognises individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and transformative impact in their respective fields. He explained that recipients emerged through a rigorous process involving public voting, editorial board scrutiny, and assessment by a panel of judges.
Omanufeme noted that Zabbey’s selection reflects his outstanding contributions to environmental restoration and community development in Ogoniland through the Ogoni cleanup project.
With over two decades of experience spanning research, advocacy, capacity development, and administration, Zabbey has, within three years of leading HYPREP, implemented people-focused initiatives aimed at improving livelihoods and restoring degraded ecosystems.
Under his leadership, the project has reportedly created more than 7,000 direct jobs and facilitated the training of thousands of youths and women in high-demand skills, including mechatronics, cybersecurity, commercial diving, underwater welding, and data analytics.
HYPREP has also trained over 5,000 beneficiaries across 21 vocational skill areas, providing start-up kits to support entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.
In the area of environmental sustainability, the agency has established 31 environmental clubs in secondary schools and trained 2,500 youths with International Maritime Organization (IMO) certification to support shoreline cleanup and mangrove restoration efforts.
The project has recorded significant ecological milestones, including the cleanup of over 1,000 hectares of shoreline and restoration of 560 hectares of mangroves. This progress contributed to the designation of Ogoni mangrove wetlands as a Ramsar Site of international importance.
Beyond environmental remediation, HYPREP has expanded its social intervention programmes to include educational grants and scholarships for over 1,000 students, support for small and medium-scale enterprises, and skills training for persons living with special needs.
Infrastructure and healthcare development have also featured prominently, with ongoing projects such as the Ogoni Specialist Hospital, a Cottage Hospital, the Ogoni Power Project, and the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration. The agency has further strengthened emergency healthcare delivery by donating five ambulances to medical facilities in the region.
Additionally, potable water has been provided to more than 40 communities, alongside the construction of wind-powered water systems in underserved areas.
Speaking on the award, Zabbey described it as a validation of HYPREP’s integrated approach to environmental restoration, healthcare improvement, and economic empowerment.
“We remain committed to delivering a cleanup that not only restores the environment but also improves livelihoods in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
HYPREP, in a statement, expressed appreciation to the management of Independent Newspapers for the recognition, the Federal Ministry of Environment for its oversight role, and the Ogoni communities for their continued support and collaboration.
The agency was established by the Federal Government of Nigeria to implement the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on Ogoniland and restore areas impacted by oil pollution.
By: Donatus Ebi
The Supreme Court of Nigeria has awarded a total cost of ¦ 2 million against High Chief Cassidy Ikegbidi and other appellants in the protracted Eze Igbu Akoh II chieftaincy dispute, citing abuse of judicial process and disobedience of subsisting court orders, in a ruling that underscores growing judicial intolerance for procedural delays in long-running traditional leadership cases.
The decision, delivered on March 16, 2026, in Abuja by a five-man panel of the apex court led by Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba, arose from a series of applications filed by High Chief Cassidy O. W. Ikegbidi and others against HRH Eze Godspower Okorobia Okpagi and seven others, in a dispute over the rightful occupant of the Eze Igbu Akoh II stool in Igbu Akoh Kingdom of Ekpeye ethnic nationality in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Court proceedings revealed that the appellants had filed multiple motions before the Supreme Court, including an application seeking injunctive relief and another seeking leave to amend a ground of appeal. However, both applications were later withdrawn by the appellants after the respondents had already filed responses and appeared in court on several occasions.
Although counsel to the respondents did not oppose the withdrawal of the applications, they strongly urged the court to award costs, arguing that the appellants’ conduct had led to unnecessary delays and avoidable legal expenses. The respondents maintained that the repeated filing and subsequent withdrawal of applications amounted to a deliberate attempt to frustrate the judicial process.
In its ruling, the Supreme Court struck out the withdrawn applications but took a firm stance on the conduct of the appellants, holding that their actions constituted an abuse of court process. The court further noted that the appellants had acted in violation of subsisting injunctive orders earlier issued by the High Court and upheld by the Court of Appeal, a development that weighed heavily in its decision to impose sanctions.
Consequently, the apex court awarded a lump sum cost of ¦ 2 million against the appellants in favour of the 1st to 5th respondents as a punitive and deterrent measure, reinforcing the principle that litigants must approach the court with sincerity and respect for existing judicial orders.
The ruling, however, is strictly procedural and does not resolve the substantive issue of who is the rightful Eze Igbu Akoh II. Rather, it deals only with interlocutory applications that were brought before the court and subsequently withdrawn, leaving the core dispute to be decided at a later date.
The chieftaincy tussle, which has lingered for years, can be traced back to a judgment delivered on March 14, 2018, by the High Court sitting in Ahoada, presided over by Justice T.S. Oji, which reportedly ruled in favour of Eze Godspower Okorobia Okpagi. Dissatisfied with the outcome, the opposing parties pursued appeals, leading to a prolonged legal battle that moved through the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt and eventually to the Supreme Court.
While Eze Okpagi has consistently maintained that he is the only duly elected candidate for the Eze Igbu Akoh II stool, according to the customs and traditions of the Ekpeye ethnic nationality, as well as based on favourable court rulings, High Chief Cassidy Ikegbidi has continued to lay claim to the stool, a situation that has deepened tensions and prolonged uncertainty within the kingdom.
The immediate implication of the Supreme Court’s ruling is that the appellants have lost all pending interim reliefs, having withdrawn their applications, and now have no active motion before the apex court capable of altering the current legal position. More importantly, the injunctions granted by the High Court and affirmed by the Court of Appeal remain valid and binding, as they were neither set aside nor suspended by the Supreme Court.
This effectively places the respondents in a stronger position for now, as they continue to benefit from the subsisting judgments of the lower courts pending the final determination of the appeal. In contrast, the appellants must comply with the ¦ 2 million cost order and face a prolonged wait before the substantive issues in the case are heard.
Following the resolution of all pending applications, the Supreme Court adjourned the substantive appeal to March 19, 2029, a development that has generated mixed reactions among stakeholders, given the already lengthy duration of the dispute. The adjournment means that the final determination of the rightful occupant of the traditional stool will not be made for several more years, further extending a legal battle that has spanned nearly a decade.
Reacting to the ruling, Eze Godspower Okorobia Okpagi maintained that the decision reinforces the validity of earlier judgments in his favour, particularly as the Supreme Court declined to grant any relief that would have altered the status quo. He argued that the dismissal and withdrawal of the appellants’ applications confirm that the orders of the lower courts remain in full effect.
He further alleged that the appellants had taken steps inconsistent with those orders and accused them of employing delay tactics to prolong their hold on the situation, insisting that High Chief Ikegbidi should desist from parading himself as the Eze Igbu Akoh II pending the final determination of the appeal.
Legal observers note that chieftaincy disputes in Nigeria often become protracted due to their sensitive nature and the high cultural and political significance attached to traditional institutions, as well as the frequent filing of appeals and interlocutory applications that slow down the judicial process.
A support group, Peter Obi Our President (PETOOP), has inaugurated its members and state executives from Rivers, Bayelsa and Cross River States in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, with a renewed call to mobilise grassroots support ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The inauguration ceremony, held on Saturday, drew a large crowd of supporters and stakeholders from different walks of life, underscoring the growing political engagement around the group’s activities.
PETOOP said its core objective is to galvanise Nigerians across regions to support the presidential ambition of former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, in the 2027 elections.
Chairman of the occasion, Dr. Okelechukwu Benjamin Okuolu, a former senatorial candidate for Rivers East under the Labour Party, described the group as a broad-based movement open to all Nigerians seeking good governance, stressing that it is not a political party.
Represented by Christian Ojukwu, Okuolu urged members to remain committed and make necessary sacrifices toward achieving credible leadership in the country. He expressed optimism about Obi’s chances in the next election cycle, citing what he described as the former governor’s leadership qualities.
Referring to the 2023 general elections, Okuolu encouraged members not to be discouraged by past challenges, but instead remain resolute and vigilant in future electoral processes.
He also commended the National Convener of PETOOP, Chief Magnus Oraka, for his mobilisation efforts aimed at fostering a better Nigeria.
In his remarks, Oraka called on members to remain courageous and steadfast, linking Nigeria’s economic challenges to what he described as leadership deficiencies.According to him, effective governance requires competence, foresight and experience in managing resources, urging Nigerians to prioritise these qualities in future leadership choices.
Also speaking, the Rivers State Coordinator of PETOOP, Mrs. Becky Napoleon, said the group represents a collective movement driven by conviction and a shared vision for national transformation.
She noted that the initiative is focused on inspiring action and generating practical solutions to the country’s challenges through unity and purposeful engagement.
“Our coming together is based on personal conviction and a shared belief in a better future for our country and generations to come,” she said, adding that meaningful transformation requires collective effort.
The Bayelsa State Coordinator, Mr. Ijaja Alabi, also addressed participants, aligning with the group’s message of unity and commitment to national development.
The event marks a significant step in PETOOP’s expansion efforts across the South-South region as it intensifies mobilisation activities ahead of the 2027 elections.