Gunmen Murder APC's Deputy Ward Chairman In Bayelsa State

Unknown gunmen on Wednesday, Dec. 2, killed the Odi Ward 1 deputy Ward Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Diseye Dickson, ahead of the Saturday's governorship election in the state. The killers, who were dressed in military uniform, invaded the Odi, Kolokuma/Opokuma local government area of Bayelsa around 11:00pm and shot him dead after their target had escaped, The Nation reports.

Report said they had planned to abduct Chief Watson Ogoriba, the elder brother to a former member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Warman Ogoriba, but their target managed to escape and contacted the police. They killed Dickson while shooting their way out of the community.

The APC in state has however pointed accusing fingers at the People's Democratic Party (PDP), saying the party was behind the attack.

“It was the case of failed kidnap attempt and it could also be political. Everybody knows that Warman is the leader of the APC and his opponents may have decided to abduct or even assassinate his brother so as to weaken him”, a source in the community told The Nation. Incumbent Governor, Seriake Dickson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a former governor of the state, Timipre Sylva of the APC are the major contenders in the Dec. 5 governorship poll.

Source: NAN

Stop Running From Boko Haram – Buratai Warns Troops In Gulak, Gajigana

Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai yesterday visited Gajigana, Magumeri Local Government Area of Borno State, which was attacked by Boko Haram terrorists on Sunday. He was received and conducted round troops’ deployment by the Commander 5 Brigade and the Commanding Officer of 243 Battalion.

The Chief of Army Staff while fielding questions from journalists that accompanied him, stated that he was there to see things for himself, asses the situation and give necessary directives.

Speaking further with the Commanders, he expressed dissatisfaction with the troops conduct and warned that such incident should not repeat itself.

The troops were reported to have fled their base after Boko Haram members nearly overpowered them in Gulak. Buratai also called on the public, especially those residing in the affected area to support and cooperate with the troops by exposing suspected Boko Haram terrorists that live among them.

He stated that the recent wave of attacks by terrorists in Gulak and Gajigana should be seen as isolated, assuring that adequate measures were being taken to deal decisively with any such occurrences. The COAS also assured that the military and the security agencies would continue to improve their performances.

He was accompanied by the Theatre Commander, Operation LAFIYA DOLE, General Officer Commanding 7 Division, Acting Director Military Intelligence and the Acting Provost Marshal (Army). Also on the entourage were representatives of Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Nigerian Police attached to the Military Command and Control Centre. The troops, during the Gulak attack, killed 3 Boko Haram terrorists, while a number escaped with gun shot wounds. One soldier lost his life.

They recovered a Toyota Hilux, 1 PKM gun, 1 General Purpose Machine Gun, 3 AK-47 rifles, 1 Rocket Propelled Grenade tube and 1 Rocket Propelled Grenade bomb. Other recoveries include, 1 Charger, 7 Boxes of 7.62mm Link, 1 GP 340 Hand Held Radio, 4 Boxes of 7.62mm X 54mm Ammunitions, 3 Anti Riot Hand Held Grenade, as well as 30 Cleaning Kits, 2 Packets of Artillery Primers and 97 pieces of Zela fuse.

The location have also been reinforced and the troops are now poised for any eventuality. Army said the troops were further pursuing the escaping terrorists and also exploiting to further block such kind of incursion.

Mercy Aigbe Vs Linda Ikeji: Who Rocked The Outfit Better? See Photos

Denim on denim is the reigning outfit for Nigerian celebs.Many celebs like Genevieve Nnaji,Mide Martins,Mercy Aigbe,Linda Ikeji and others have been spotted rocked the outfit.Between Mercy Aigbe and Linda Ikeji,

Who wore the outfit better?

Richest persons list: Dangote slides to 37th in 24 hours

Billionaire business mogul, Aliko Dangote, slid down 14 places to 37^th position in the World Richest Persons list within 24 hours.

Dangote, the President, Dangote Group, who remains Africa’s richest person, was ranked 23^rd on Thursday by Forbes.

A check on Forbes website on Friday, however, revealed that the business mogul, who is said to be worth about $21bn, is now ranked 37^th richest person.

Before Thursday’s ranking as the world’s 23^rd richest person, Dangote, the first black person to be so ranked, occupied the 43^rd position in the world.

The owner of indigenous telecoms company, Globacom, Chief Mike Adenuga, was the next Nigerian on the list, with a wealth of $4.6bn, maintaining the 325th position in the world, while Folorunsho Alakija, with $2.5bn, was 687th in the world, and Abdulsamad Rabiu in the 1,372th position in the world, with $1.2bn.
American billionaire, Bill Gates, reclaimed the title of world’s richest person from telecoms mogul, Carlos Slim Helu, of Mexico after four years.

Gates, according to Forbes, raked in extra $9bnin the last one year and has been at the top of the list for 15 of the past 20 years.

Spanish clothing retailer, Amancio Ortega (best known for the Zara fashion chain) retains the number three spot for the second year in a row, extending his lead over Warren Buffett, who is again number four.
Dangote has also been named the world’s 68th most powerful person.

You can check the list of 50 richest persons in the world.

Rank	Name	Worth	Country of Citizenship
1	Bill Gates	$82.1 bn	US
2	Carlos Slim Helu & family	$80.2 bn	Mexico
3	Warren Buffett	$70.2 bn	US
4	Amancio Ortega	$58.1 bn	Spain
5	Larry Ellison	$50.2 bn	US
6	Charles Koch	$42.6 bn	US
6	David Koch	$42.6 bn	US
8	Christy Walton & family	$38.5 bn	US
9	Jim Walton	$37.2 bn	US
10	Michael Bloomberg	$35.8 bn	US
11	Alice Walton	$35.7 bn	US
12	Robson Walton	$35.7 bn	US
13	Liliane Bettencourt & family	$35.4 bn	France
14	Mark Zuckerberg	$33.2 bn	US
15	Bernard Arnault & family	$31.2 bn	France
16	Stefan Persson	$31 bn	Sweden
17	Li Ka-shing	$30.9 bn	Hong Kong
18	Sheldon Adelson	$30.3 bn	US
19	Larry Page	$30.1 bn	US
20	Sergey Brin	$29.6 bn	US
21	Jeff Bezos	$27.7 bn	US
22	Carl Icahn	$25.7 bn	US
23	Michele Ferrero & family	$24.9 bn	Italy
24	David Thomson & family	$24.2 bn	Canada
25	George Soros	$24 bn	US
26	Forrest Mars Jr	$23.8 bn	US
26	Jacqueline Mars	$23.8 bn	US
26	John Mars	$23.8 bn	US
29	Jack Ma	$23.5 bn	China
30	Steve Ballmer	$23.1 bn	US
31	Mukesh Ambani	$22.6 bn	India
32	Jorge Paulo Lemann	$22.2 bn	Brazil
33	Lee Shau Kee	$22.1 bn	Hong Kong
34	Phil Knight	$22 bn	US
35	Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud	$21.5 bn	Saudi Arabi
36	Michael Dell	$21.4 bn	US
37	Aliko Dangote	$21.3 bn	Nigeria
38	Dilip Shanghvi	$19.6 bn	India
39	Len Blavatnik	$19.2 bn	US
40	Tadashi Yanai & family	$18.4 bn	Japan
41	Leonardo Del Vecchio	$18.1 bn	Italy
42	Alisher Usmanov	$17.8 bn	Russia
43	Laurene Powell Jobs & family	$17.2 bn	US
44	Robin Li	$17.1 bn	China
45	Paul Allen	$17.1 bn	US
46	Theo Albrecht Jr & family	$16.9 bn	Germany
47	Michael Otto & family	$16.6 bn	Germany
48	Charles Ergen	$16.6 bn	US
49	Masayoshi Son	$16.5 bn	Japan
50	Anne Cox Chambers	$16.1 bn	US

Potiskum assembly blast: Death toll rises to 47

A suicide bomb attack killed 47 students and injured 79 others on Monday as they gathered for morning assembly at their school in northeast Nigeria, a massacre likely carried out by Boko Haram, police told AFP.

“There was an explosion detonated by a suicide bomber,” national police spokesman Emmanuel Ojukwu said, referring to the attack at the Government Comprehensive Senior Science Secondary School in Potiskum in Yobe state.

“We have 47 dead and 79 injured,” he added, saying that the Islamist extremists were believed to be responsible.

Police parade dogs that attacked four-year-old boy

The Lagos State Police Command on Tuesday paraded the two dogs that attacked four-year-old Omonigho Abraham in the Igando area of the state.

The police, while parading the two German shepherd dogs at its headquarters in Ikeja, added that the dogs had been examined and had been found to be disease-free.

The Commissioner of Police, Cornelius Aderanti, said it was important to parade the dogs so that the public would be convinced that the dogs were still in police custody, and had not been released as was being rumoured.

He, however, said only a court of law could decide whether the two dogs-which devoured the scalp of the little boy-would be killed or not.

He said, “We have brought the dogs out so that the public would know that they are still in police custody. They have been examined and they show no negative trait. It is only the court that will decide what happens to them. The police cannot decide to kill the dogs.”

PUNCH Metro had reported on Tuesday, October 21, that the victim, Omonigho, had asked the police and the government to ensure that the dogs which almost took his life be killed.

It was reported that Omonigho, who was now in the Burns and Plastic Wards of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja still had a bandaged head and some scars on his face.

On Tuesday at the police command, a veterinary police officer, Yahaya Usman, also told journalists that the medical report showed the dogs had no infection.

He said, “Initially, we quarantined the dogs and wanted to find out whether the dogs had any disease or not. That was the first step taken by the police. The dogs were under our watch for weeks.

“So far, they have not shown any negative trait. The medical history shows that they don’t have rabies or the Ebola Virus Disease. The dogs are with us, and only the court will determine what happens to them.”

Meanwhile, the victim’s father, Mr. Odiah Abraham, said apart from the attack on his son, the dogs had also terrorised other residents.

He said three days prior to his son’s attack, the dogs had chased a neighbour and residents had thereafter warned the dog owner.

He said, “Three days to the incident, a woman who lives in the neighbourhood had gone downstairs to spread her clothes on the line. She had left and was approaching her room when the dogs broke out of their cage and pursued her. She was just lucky that she was close to her room, if not they would have bitten her.

“She ran in and shut the door against herself. The dogs stood at the gate for some time and when they saw she did not open, they ran back to their cage. My wife met the dog’s owner and told him to do something about the dogs, as there were little children within the neighbourhood, but he just ignored the warning.”

However, the owner of the dogs, Mr. Stanley Wesley, has been arraigned in court for negligence but has been granted bail.

Ebola Virus-free country:15 days of Ebola survivors horror in isolation centre!

First Consultants Hospital’s doctors tell their stories
By Chioma Obinna and Gabriel Olawale
It is no longer news that Nigeria has not recorded any Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, case since the last Ebola patient was discharged from the isolation centre at the Infectious Disease Hospital, IDH, Mainland Hospital, Yaba, Lagos. What is news, however, is that many countries of the world are impressed about the strategies applied by Nigerian experts to contain the spread of the disease .
To this effect, Nigeria has received accolades from various organisations including the World Health Organisation, WHO. In fact, tomorrow, Nigeria will be officially declared by WHO Ebola-free.
Four of those who died were healthcare workers who treated Liberian government official, Patrick Sawyer, who brought the virus into the country from Monrovia.
Most of the victims were from First Consultants Hospital where Sawyer was admitted. Sunday Vanguard was at the hospital alongside some WHO representatives who were there to get first hand information on how the personnel managed the Ebola crisis. The doctors gave vivid accounts of how they survived and the therapies that worked for them.

L-R: The Chief Medical Director, First Consultans Hospital, Dr. Benjamin Ohiaeri, and the Ebola survivors; Dr. Ada Igonoh and Dr. Akinniyi Fadipe .

According to them, some of the therapies they undertook through the 15 days period in the isolation centre in Lagos were not easy. They said they took Paracetamol and consumed 4.5 litres of Oral Rehydration Solution, ORS, daily
Their heart- rendering stories:

I was determined to survive— Igonoh
“A couple of days after Mr. Sawyer died, I started to feel unwell but I didn’t have fever; so I thought it was as a result of stress. I had joint pains, general feeling of unwellness. However, soon I developed fever and that was when my blood sample was taken for investigation and I was confirmed to be positive to EVD. I was taken to the isolation centre at IDH, Yaba where I was attended to by Dr. David who was contacted by our Chief Medical Doctor, Dr.   Benjamin Ohiaeri, because he was an Ebola specialist. He told me that 90 per cent of the treatment will be solely dependent on me and I needed to do whatever he asked me to do which was to remain hydrated, to re-hydrate and monitor the fluid loss arising from the diarrhoea and vomiting. And no matter how bad I felt, he said, I should take the oral re-hydration which he mixed for me and told me how to mix it and I started mixing it by myself”, Dr. Adah Igonoh, one of the doctors who treated Patrick Sawyer, said.
For the young beautiful doctor, it was an emotional period for the members of staff at First Consultants Hospital, because some were kept in the hospital and some at the isolation centre. “Although, we were separated, we were all in it together. We received prayer support and materials from our colleagues”, she stated. She continued: “It was a matter of strong will to survive because you shouldn’t give up on yourself. I knew I had to do what I was asked to do, take the medication, oral re-hydration solution, Paracetamol for pains. I continued to take this until the diarrhoea and vomiting stopped.
“I took banana with the aim of increasing my potassium level because I knew that due to the diarrhoea involved, I had lost a lot of body fluid and there was no means to check my electrolyte level because many tests that should have been done were not done because, Lagos State government was not prepared to cater for the situation at the early stage. So, gradually, volunteers came to help because initially it was only Dr. David who was doing everything. The pressure was too much for him because he also had to limit contact and there was a number of times he should come in on daily basis.
“But when volunteers came to assist, the treatment got better and there was a lot of improvement and we were moved to a better isolation centre where we were properly catered for.
“My CMD sent us supplies, such as Vitamin C, anti-malaria drugs, tissue paper, buckets, bathroom slippers, diapers, all the basic things that we did not have the first time we came to the hospital.
“I had fever, vomiting and diarrhoea. For the fever, I was given Paracetamol which was supplied by Dr. Ohiaeri, and I was given oral re-hydro solution which Dr. David had already told me about when I first came to the isolation centre, he told me I had to consume at least   4.5 litres a day regardless of how I felt.
“My urine initially was dark. I was told to drink more electrolytes until my urine got lighter.
What kept me throughout my staying in that isolation centre was my belief that I will survive. Initially when I started taking the Paracetamol, the fever was not going down. My temperature was around 38.6. Sometimes, it will come down to 38.4 which did not make any sense. The reason for taking Paracetamol was not to bring the fever down but to relieve the body ache and pains.
“The ORS, I was supposed to consume 4.5 litres. So my strategy was to have a bottle on my hand, as soon as I vomit, I will drink it. Once I visit the bathroom, I must go with the ORS. The secret is that you must not be lazy in drinking the ORS”.
Compliance with doctor’s instruction was the only way out — Fadipe
“Ebola is an illness that requires commitment to the cause, you must be determined to fight the battle”, another survivor, Dr. Akinniyi Fadipe, also of First Consultants Hospital, said..
“I think when I contracted the disease was when I opened the door to the room where Sawyer was admitted. I wasn’t that close to him. In his room, there were two beds and I was only communicating with him from a distance and I washed my hands each time I had conversation with him”, he narrated.
“I never knew that from that point I could contract the disease.   We were thinking that by August when the incubation period would have been over, we will all celebrate not knowing that almost all of us will be infected with the deadly virus. As time went on, I started feeling sick and I took my temperature which was very high. The following day, I decided to go to a laboratory to run a test. I wished it was malaria but when the result came out it was written in capital letters that malaria was negative.
“When I got home, I checked my temperature again, it was high. That was the point I contacted the ministry of health and they came and pick me up. When I started manifesting the symptoms I knew it was Ebola, but I had read in the papers that it was possible for people exposed to the virus to survive; so I made up my mind to fight it.
“I was taken from the hospital to the isolation centre. My parents were not happy because they thought I was taking steps towards death. Getting to the isolation centre, I spent a lot of hours inside the ambulance. Later, Dr. David took my blood samples and kept me in a room.

Late Dr. Adadevoh

“When I got to that room I knew Nigeria was not in any way prepared for Ebola. The environment was dirty you could not even describe the bed there as bed. At a point,   I was asking Dr. David where   will I stay, and where was the rest room? And where he pointed to me I doubted whether I will survive because the environment was not going to in anyway help my recovery.
“The 15 days I spent at the isolation centre, I experienced frequent vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, pains and there was a particular time I felt I was going to succumb to Ebola.
“This was particularly so when I remembered that before the ECOWAS guy died, he was doing well at a point.
“I remember they will bring food to us to eat; he was the only one taking solid food. He would ask for Semovita, but all of a sudden, he said he was not taking those things again.
“When he stopped taking ORS, one particular night, precisely on August 15, I called a nurse to come and look at him, that was the day he died. His sudden death made me to shiver.  I was afraid. I was shaking and I asked myself whether this was how Ebola was going to be taking us one-by-one?
“One scary thing that happened to me was when rashes came out of my body; red spots but to God be the glory, they disappeared the following day.
“What actually helped us was the fact that we are medical personnel and we understood the fact that compliance with the doctor’s instruction was the only way out.
“The absence of doctors at the isolation centre at the early stage of Ebola outbreak did not help some people. If things had been different, probably those who came there before I was admitted might not have died.
“I was happy when we were moved to a new site, it was perfect.
Later, everything got better. During that time I became closer to God. On the day I was discharged, August 18, some people came around asking us about stigmatisation, whether we would be able to go back to work. I told them I was not scared of stigmatisation. Concerning my belongings that were burnt, promises were made, but up till now nothing came out of those promises.
When I left the centre my family members received me and threw a party for me”.
Our greatest challenge – Ohiaeri, Chief Medical Director, First Consultants Hospital
“Mr. Patrick Sawyer came to Nigeria with Ebola Virus Disease. The medical team at First Consultants Hospital, led by one of the best physicians this country would ever produce, Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh, detected after 24 hours that it was possible that this man had Ebola virus subject to confirmation”, Dr. Benjamin Ohiaeri, Chief Medical Consultant at First Consultants Hospital, said..
“We have always had one of the best personnel.
One of the greatest challenges of the Ebola virus saga was when Mr. Sawyer said he needed to be discharged. He said he was not going to wait for any test to be done. To do a test is one thing and the time the result is going to come out is another. So we had 48 hours window between when we did the test and when the result will come out.
“We lost four of our key staff.  We were not prepared. More awareness still needs to focus on hygienic life style. However, we have paid the price. The fight is not over. In a few days time, Nigeria will be declared Ebola free but awareness needs to continue because now it is Ebola; something else may come tomorrow; whatever it is, you (WHO) must support us”.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/10/ebola-virus-free-country15-days-ebola-survivors-horror-isolation-centre/#sthash.G4oie6U3.dpuf

First Consultants Hospital’s doctors tell their stories
By Chioma Obinna and Gabriel Olawale
It is no longer news that Nigeria has not recorded any Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, case since the last Ebola patient was discharged from the isolation centre at the Infectious Disease Hospital, IDH, Mainland Hospital, Yaba, Lagos. What is news, however, is that many countries of the world are impressed about the strategies applied by Nigerian experts to contain the spread of the disease .
To this effect, Nigeria has received accolades from various organisations including the World Health Organisation, WHO. In fact, tomorrow, Nigeria will be officially declared by WHO Ebola-free.
Four of those who died were healthcare workers who treated Liberian government official, Patrick Sawyer, who brought the virus into the country from Monrovia.
Most of the victims were from First Consultants Hospital where Sawyer was admitted. Sunday Vanguard was at the hospital alongside some WHO representatives who were there to get first hand information on how the personnel managed the Ebola crisis. The doctors gave vivid accounts of how they survived and the therapies that worked for them.

L-R: The Chief Medical Director, First Consultans Hospital, Dr. Benjamin Ohiaeri, and the Ebola survivors; Dr. Ada Igonoh and Dr. Akinniyi Fadipe .

According to them, some of the therapies they undertook through the 15 days period in the isolation centre in Lagos were not easy. They said they took Paracetamol and consumed 4.5 litres of Oral Rehydration Solution, ORS, daily
Their heart- rendering stories:

I was determined to survive— Igonoh
“A couple of days after Mr. Sawyer died, I started to feel unwell but I didn’t have fever; so I thought it was as a result of stress. I had joint pains, general feeling of unwellness. However, soon I developed fever and that was when my blood sample was taken for investigation and I was confirmed to be positive to EVD. I was taken to the isolation centre at IDH, Yaba where I was attended to by Dr. David who was contacted by our Chief Medical Doctor, Dr.   Benjamin Ohiaeri, because he was an Ebola specialist. He told me that 90 per cent of the treatment will be solely dependent on me and I needed to do whatever he asked me to do which was to remain hydrated, to re-hydrate and monitor the fluid loss arising from the diarrhoea and vomiting. And no matter how bad I felt, he said, I should take the oral re-hydration which he mixed for me and told me how to mix it and I started mixing it by myself”, Dr. Adah Igonoh, one of the doctors who treated Patrick Sawyer, said.
For the young beautiful doctor, it was an emotional period for the members of staff at First Consultants Hospital, because some were kept in the hospital and some at the isolation centre. “Although, we were separated, we were all in it together. We received prayer support and materials from our colleagues”, she stated. She continued: “It was a matter of strong will to survive because you shouldn’t give up on yourself. I knew I had to do what I was asked to do, take the medication, oral re-hydration solution, Paracetamol for pains. I continued to take this until the diarrhoea and vomiting stopped.
“I took banana with the aim of increasing my potassium level because I knew that due to the diarrhoea involved, I had lost a lot of body fluid and there was no means to check my electrolyte level because many tests that should have been done were not done because, Lagos State government was not prepared to cater for the situation at the early stage. So, gradually, volunteers came to help because initially it was only Dr. David who was doing everything. The pressure was too much for him because he also had to limit contact and there was a number of times he should come in on daily basis.
“But when volunteers came to assist, the treatment got better and there was a lot of improvement and we were moved to a better isolation centre where we were properly catered for.
“My CMD sent us supplies, such as Vitamin C, anti-malaria drugs, tissue paper, buckets, bathroom slippers, diapers, all the basic things that we did not have the first time we came to the hospital.
“I had fever, vomiting and diarrhoea. For the fever, I was given Paracetamol which was supplied by Dr. Ohiaeri, and I was given oral re-hydro solution which Dr. David had already told me about when I first came to the isolation centre, he told me I had to consume at least   4.5 litres a day regardless of how I felt.
“My urine initially was dark. I was told to drink more electrolytes until my urine got lighter.
What kept me throughout my staying in that isolation centre was my belief that I will survive. Initially when I started taking the Paracetamol, the fever was not going down. My temperature was around 38.6. Sometimes, it will come down to 38.4 which did not make any sense. The reason for taking Paracetamol was not to bring the fever down but to relieve the body ache and pains.
“The ORS, I was supposed to consume 4.5 litres. So my strategy was to have a bottle on my hand, as soon as I vomit, I will drink it. Once I visit the bathroom, I must go with the ORS. The secret is that you must not be lazy in drinking the ORS”.
Compliance with doctor’s instruction was the only way out — Fadipe
“Ebola is an illness that requires commitment to the cause, you must be determined to fight the battle”, another survivor, Dr. Akinniyi Fadipe, also of First Consultants Hospital, said..
“I think when I contracted the disease was when I opened the door to the room where Sawyer was admitted. I wasn’t that close to him. In his room, there were two beds and I was only communicating with him from a distance and I washed my hands each time I had conversation with him”, he narrated.
“I never knew that from that point I could contract the disease.   We were thinking that by August when the incubation period would have been over, we will all celebrate not knowing that almost all of us will be infected with the deadly virus. As time went on, I started feeling sick and I took my temperature which was very high. The following day, I decided to go to a laboratory to run a test. I wished it was malaria but when the result came out it was written in capital letters that malaria was negative.
“When I got home, I checked my temperature again, it was high. That was the point I contacted the ministry of health and they came and pick me up. When I started manifesting the symptoms I knew it was Ebola, but I had read in the papers that it was possible for people exposed to the virus to survive; so I made up my mind to fight it.
“I was taken from the hospital to the isolation centre. My parents were not happy because they thought I was taking steps towards death. Getting to the isolation centre, I spent a lot of hours inside the ambulance. Later, Dr. David took my blood samples and kept me in a room.

Late Dr. Adadevoh

“When I got to that room I knew Nigeria was not in any way prepared for Ebola. The environment was dirty you could not even describe the bed there as bed. At a point,   I was asking Dr. David where   will I stay, and where was the rest room? And where he pointed to me I doubted whether I will survive because the environment was not going to in anyway help my recovery.
“The 15 days I spent at the isolation centre, I experienced frequent vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, pains and there was a particular time I felt I was going to succumb to Ebola.
“This was particularly so when I remembered that before the ECOWAS guy died, he was doing well at a point.
“I remember they will bring food to us to eat; he was the only one taking solid food. He would ask for Semovita, but all of a sudden, he said he was not taking those things again.
“When he stopped taking ORS, one particular night, precisely on August 15, I called a nurse to come and look at him, that was the day he died. His sudden death made me to shiver.  I was afraid. I was shaking and I asked myself whether this was how Ebola was going to be taking us one-by-one?
“One scary thing that happened to me was when rashes came out of my body; red spots but to God be the glory, they disappeared the following day.
“What actually helped us was the fact that we are medical personnel and we understood the fact that compliance with the doctor’s instruction was the only way out.
“The absence of doctors at the isolation centre at the early stage of Ebola outbreak did not help some people. If things had been different, probably those who came there before I was admitted might not have died.
“I was happy when we were moved to a new site, it was perfect.
Later, everything got better. During that time I became closer to God. On the day I was discharged, August 18, some people came around asking us about stigmatisation, whether we would be able to go back to work. I told them I was not scared of stigmatisation. Concerning my belongings that were burnt, promises were made, but up till now nothing came out of those promises.
When I left the centre my family members received me and threw a party for me”.
Our greatest challenge – Ohiaeri, Chief Medical Director, First Consultants Hospital
“Mr. Patrick Sawyer came to Nigeria with Ebola Virus Disease. The medical team at First Consultants Hospital, led by one of the best physicians this country would ever produce, Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh, detected after 24 hours that it was possible that this man had Ebola virus subject to confirmation”, Dr. Benjamin Ohiaeri, Chief Medical Consultant at First Consultants Hospital, said..
“We have always had one of the best personnel.
One of the greatest challenges of the Ebola virus saga was when Mr. Sawyer said he needed to be discharged. He said he was not going to wait for any test to be done. To do a test is one thing and the time the result is going to come out is another. So we had 48 hours window between when we did the test and when the result will come out.
“We lost four of our key staff.  We were not prepared. More awareness still needs to focus on hygienic life style. However, we have paid the price. The fight is not over. In a few days time, Nigeria will be declared Ebola free but awareness needs to continue because now it is Ebola; something else may come tomorrow; whatever it is, you (WHO) must support us”.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/10/ebola-virus-free-country15-days-ebola-survivors-horror-isolation-centre/#sthash.G4oie6U3.dpuf

First Consultants Hospital’s doctors tell their stories

By Chioma Obinna and Gabriel Olawale

It is no longer news that Nigeria has not recorded any Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, case since the last Ebola patient was discharged from the isolation centre at the Infectious Disease Hospital, IDH, Mainland Hospital, Yaba, Lagos. What is news, however, is that many countries of the world are impressed about the strategies applied by Nigerian experts to contain the spread of the disease .

To this effect, Nigeria has received accolades from various organisations including the World Health Organisation, WHO. In fact, tomorrow, Nigeria will be officially declared by WHO Ebola-free.

Four of those who died were healthcare workers who treated Liberian government official, Patrick Sawyer, who brought the virus into the country from Monrovia.

Most of the victims were from First Consultants Hospital where Sawyer was admitted. Sunday Vanguard was at the hospital alongside some WHO representatives who were there to get first hand information on how the personnel managed the Ebola crisis. The doctors gave vivid accounts of how they survived and the therapies that worked for them.
L-R: The Chief Medical Director, First Consultans Hospital, Dr. Benjamin Ohiaeri, and the Ebola survivors; Dr. Ada Igonoh and Dr. Akinniyi Fadipe .

L-R: The Chief Medical Director, First Consultans Hospital, Dr. Benjamin Ohiaeri, and the Ebola survivors; Dr. Ada Igonoh and Dr. Akinniyi Fadipe .

According to them, some of the therapies they undertook through the 15 days period in the isolation centre in Lagos were not easy. They said they took Paracetamol and consumed 4.5 litres of Oral Rehydration Solution, ORS, daily

Their heart- rendering stories:



I was determined to survive— Igonoh

“A couple of days after Mr. Sawyer died, I started to feel unwell but I didn’t have fever; so I thought it was as a result of stress. I had joint pains, general feeling of unwellness. However, soon I developed fever and that was when my blood sample was taken for investigation and I was confirmed to be positive to EVD. I was taken to the isolation centre at IDH, Yaba where I was attended to by Dr. David who was contacted by our Chief Medical Doctor, Dr. Benjamin Ohiaeri, because he was an Ebola specialist. He told me that 90 per cent of the treatment will be solely dependent on me and I needed to do whatever he asked me to do which was to remain hydrated, to re-hydrate and monitor the fluid loss arising from the diarrhoea and vomiting. And no matter how bad I felt, he said, I should take the oral re-hydration which he mixed for me and told me how to mix it and I started mixing it by myself”, Dr. Adah Igonoh, one of the doctors who treated Patrick Sawyer, said.

For the young beautiful doctor, it was an emotional period for the members of staff at First Consultants Hospital, because some were kept in the hospital and some at the isolation centre. “Although, we were separated, we were all in it together. We received prayer support and materials from our colleagues”, she stated. She continued: “It was a matter of strong will to survive because you shouldn’t give up on yourself. I knew I had to do what I was asked to do, take the medication, oral re-hydration solution, Paracetamol for pains. I continued to take this until the diarrhoea and vomiting stopped.

“I took banana with the aim of increasing my potassium level because I knew that due to the diarrhoea involved, I had lost a lot of body fluid and there was no means to check my electrolyte level because many tests that should have been done were not done because, Lagos State government was not prepared to cater for the situation at the early stage. So, gradually, volunteers came to help because initially it was only Dr. David who was doing everything. The pressure was too much for him because he also had to limit contact and there was a number of times he should come in on daily basis.

“But when volunteers came to assist, the treatment got better and there was a lot of improvement and we were moved to a better isolation centre where we were properly catered for.

“My CMD sent us supplies, such as Vitamin C, anti-malaria drugs, tissue paper, buckets, bathroom slippers, diapers, all the basic things that we did not have the first time we came to the hospital.

“I had fever, vomiting and diarrhoea. For the fever, I was given Paracetamol which was supplied by Dr. Ohiaeri, and I was given oral re-hydro solution which Dr. David had already told me about when I first came to the isolation centre, he told me I had to consume at least 4.5 litres a day regardless of how I felt.

“My urine initially was dark. I was told to drink more electrolytes until my urine got lighter.

What kept me throughout my staying in that isolation centre was my belief that I will survive. Initially when I started taking the Paracetamol, the fever was not going down. My temperature was around 38.6. Sometimes, it will come down to 38.4 which did not make any sense. The reason for taking Paracetamol was not to bring the fever down but to relieve the body ache and pains.

“The ORS, I was supposed to consume 4.5 litres. So my strategy was to have a bottle on my hand, as soon as I vomit, I will drink it. Once I visit the bathroom, I must go with the ORS. The secret is that you must not be lazy in drinking the ORS”.

Compliance with doctor’s instruction was the only way out — Fadipe

“Ebola is an illness that requires commitment to the cause, you must be determined to fight the battle”, another survivor, Dr. Akinniyi Fadipe, also of First Consultants Hospital, said..

“I think when I contracted the disease was when I opened the door to the room where Sawyer was admitted. I wasn’t that close to him. In his room, there were two beds and I was only communicating with him from a distance and I washed my hands each time I had conversation with him”, he narrated.

“I never knew that from that point I could contract the disease. We were thinking that by August when the incubation period would have been over, we will all celebrate not knowing that almost all of us will be infected with the deadly virus. As time went on, I started feeling sick and I took my temperature which was very high. The following day, I decided to go to a laboratory to run a test. I wished it was malaria but when the result came out it was written in capital letters that malaria was negative.

“When I got home, I checked my temperature again, it was high. That was the point I contacted the ministry of health and they came and pick me up. When I started manifesting the symptoms I knew it was Ebola, but I had read in the papers that it was possible for people exposed to the virus to survive; so I made up my mind to fight it.

“I was taken from the hospital to the isolation centre. My parents were not happy because they thought I was taking steps towards death. Getting to the isolation centre, I spent a lot of hours inside the ambulance. Later, Dr. David took my blood samples and kept me in a room.
Late Dr. Adadevoh

Late Dr. Adadevoh

“When I got to that room I knew Nigeria was not in any way prepared for Ebola. The environment was dirty you could not even describe the bed there as bed. At a point, I was asking Dr. David where will I stay, and where was the rest room? And where he pointed to me I doubted whether I will survive because the environment was not going to in anyway help my recovery.

“The 15 days I spent at the isolation centre, I experienced frequent vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, pains and there was a particular time I felt I was going to succumb to Ebola.

“This was particularly so when I remembered that before the ECOWAS guy died, he was doing well at a point.

“I remember they will bring food to us to eat; he was the only one taking solid food. He would ask for Semovita, but all of a sudden, he said he was not taking those things again.

“When he stopped taking ORS, one particular night, precisely on August 15, I called a nurse to come and look at him, that was the day he died. His sudden death made me to shiver. I was afraid. I was shaking and I asked myself whether this was how Ebola was going to be taking us one-by-one?

“One scary thing that happened to me was when rashes came out of my body; red spots but to God be the glory, they disappeared the following day.

“What actually helped us was the fact that we are medical personnel and we understood the fact that compliance with the doctor’s instruction was the only way out.

“The absence of doctors at the isolation centre at the early stage of Ebola outbreak did not help some people. If things had been different, probably those who came there before I was admitted might not have died.

“I was happy when we were moved to a new site, it was perfect.

Later, everything got better. During that time I became closer to God. On the day I was discharged, August 18, some people came around asking us about stigmatisation, whether we would be able to go back to work. I told them I was not scared of stigmatisation. Concerning my belongings that were burnt, promises were made, but up till now nothing came out of those promises.

When I left the centre my family members received me and threw a party for me”.

Our greatest challenge – Ohiaeri, Chief Medical Director, First Consultants Hospital

“Mr. Patrick Sawyer came to Nigeria with Ebola Virus Disease. The medical team at First Consultants Hospital, led by one of the best physicians this country would ever produce, Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh, detected after 24 hours that it was possible that this man had Ebola virus subject to confirmation”, Dr. Benjamin Ohiaeri, Chief Medical Consultant at First Consultants Hospital, said..

“We have always had one of the best personnel.

One of the greatest challenges of the Ebola virus saga was when Mr. Sawyer said he needed to be discharged. He said he was not going to wait for any test to be done. To do a test is one thing and the time the result is going to come out is another. So we had 48 hours window between when we did the test and when the result will come out.

“We lost four of our key staff. We were not prepared. More awareness still needs to focus on hygienic life style. However, we have paid the price. The fight is not over. In a few days time, Nigeria will be declared Ebola free but awareness needs to continue because now it is Ebola; something else may come tomorrow; whatever it is, you (WHO) must support us”.

Cameroonian troops kill 107 Boko Haram insurgents

Cameroonian authorities have said that its forces killed 107 members of the Boko Haram militant sect in clashes in its north, an area that has seen regular cross-border raids by the sect.

The news of the fighting coincided with the announcement that the Federal Government and the sect had agreed to a ceasefire, www.firstpost.com reported.

It was learnt that the clashes between the troops and the sect in Cameroon’s Northern region began after the militants crossed the border between the towns of Amchide and Limani on Wednesday and continued on Thursday, the Cameroonian Defence Minister, Edgar Ngo’o said in a statement.

It was also reported that eight Cameroonian soldiers were killed and seven wounded in the fighting, adding that a Boko Haram vehicle packed with ammunition and explosives was destroyed and that the Cameroonian troops now controlled the area.

The sect had stepped up cross-border attacks into Cameroon, including the seizure of 27 hostages in recent times.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian government through the Chief of Defence Staff, Alex badeh, had said on Friday that Boko Haram had agreed to free more than 200 schoolgirls it abducted in April.

Ceasefire: Boko Haram to release 218 Chibok girls Monday

There are strong indications that the 218 schoolgirls abducted six months ago in Chibok, Borno State, by the violent Boko Haram sect may be released on Monday following a ceasefire agreement between the sect and the Federal Government.

The Federal Government, through the Nigerian military, had on Friday said that it had agreed to a ceasefire with the violent sect and that the Chibok girls would soon be released.

The deal was announced by the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh.

The military has struggled to defeat Boko Haram sect which began attack against Nigeria since 2009.

The Islamist militant group sparked global outrage six months ago by abducting more than 200 girls from the town of Chibok.

Badeh said, “A ceasefire agreement has been concluded between the Federal Government and the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal Jihad (Boko Haram).”

The President’s Principal Secretary, Hassan Tukur, told BBC Focus on Africa that an agreement to end the Boko Haram hostilities had been reached after talks with the violent group.

He said the agreement was reached after one month of negotiations in Saudi Arabia. The negotiation was said to have been headed by the Chadian President Idriss Deby.

Tukur said Boko Haram announced a unilateral ceasefire on Thursday and the government had responded.

He said, “The Boko Haram members have assured us that they have the girls and that they will release them. I am cautiously optimistic.”

Tukur and Danladi Ahmadu, who calls himself the Secretary-General of Boko Haram, told VOA’s Hausa-language service that the abducted girls would be released on Monday in Chad.

The girls are alive and “in good condition and unharmed,” Ahmadu said.

President Goodluck Jonathan has faced strong criticism over a deteriorating security situation in Nigeria, with villages in the North-East Borno State inaccessible due to the threat from Boko Haram.

The group had demanded the release of detained extremists in exchange for the schoolgirls.

The Defence Headquarters, however, directed all service chiefs to stop further offensive against the Boko Haram sect.

The Chief of Defence Staff said that he had directed the service chiefs to comply with the ceasefire agreement.

Badeh stated this after a three-day bilateral conference between Nigeria’s military leaders and Cameroon which focused on the coordination of trans-border military operations between the two countries.

The Cameroonian military was led to the conference in Abuja on Wednesday by the country’s Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Maka Rene Claude.

Badeh said, “Without any prejudice to the outcome of our three days interactions, and the conclusions of this forum, I wish to inform this audience that a ceasefire agreement has been concluded between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Allul Sunna Li Daawa Waj Jihad.

“I have accordingly directed the service chiefs to ensure immediate compliance with this development in the field.”

Decisions reached at the conference include joint border patrol, intelligence sharing and how to handle internally displaced persons.

The decision to suspend the counter terrorist operation followed a ceasefire agreement between the Federal Government and representatives of the Boko Haram Sect at Ndjamena, the Chadian Capital.

The Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen Chris Olukolade, said that what the “ceasefire means is that there would be no fire.”

When one of our correspondents asked him if the current development would affect troop deployment in the North-East, he stressed that there would be cessation of hostilities in consonance with the terms of the agreement.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that the Ministry of Special Duties led by Saminu Turaki and the Office of the National Security Adviser played a crucial role in the realisation of the ceasefire agreement.

An intelligence source said that the decision to negotiate in earnest with the Boko Haram was taken during the President Jonathan’s meeting with his Chadian counterpart, Mr. Idris Derby, in Ndjamena, on Monday, September 8, 2014.

It was learnt that the President visited Chad with his National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, because of the security dimension to the mission.

The Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson; the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Nurudeen Mohammed; and the Director-General of National Space Research and Development Agency, Prof. Seidu Mohammed, were also in the President’s entourage.

Meanwhile, some prominent Nigerians have expressed divergent views over the ceasefire agreement.

A Lagos-based lawyer and human rights activist, Mr. Fred Agbaje, who hailed the agreement, said though the development was a little belated, it would save the lives of Nigerians and enhance the protection of their property.

He said, “I welcome the idea of ceasefire between the Federal Government and Boko Haram because we still have over 200 of our girls with the group. So, it will be foolhardy not to accept such an arrangement.

“It shows that force sometimes cannot bring the best solutions. If you check history very well, war has never completely solved any problem. Force could bring about temporal solutions, but not lasting and enduring reliefs. Fighting terrorism is very expensive and so it will be economically wise to sheathe the sword and embrace dialogue.

“But we have yet to see the terms and conditions of the agreement, so we must be careful how we thread. In my humble opinion, both the Federal Government and the terrorist group must be honest and honour the terms of the agreement so that peace can be achieved.

But the Spokesperson for the Catholic Church of Nigeria in the North-East, Rev. Fr. Gideon Obasogie, asked the Federal Government to be cautious and not trust the insurgent group totally.

“Terrorists will always be violent and they are not the type of people that should be trusted,” he said.

The cleric, however, asked the Federal Government not to rely on the agreement until the terrorists surrender themselves to the military.

Obasogie said, “We have to be cautious of this ceasefire agreement; terrorists are not a group of people to be trusted. Our people are still in the hiding, being displaced.

“Until they all return home safely and the insurgents surrender themselves, they should not be totally trusted.”

A Lagos-based security expert, Dr. Ona Ekhomu, said it was not yet time to rejoice over the ceasefire agreement.

He asked the military to be cautious before it started jubilating because the insurgent group had not kept promises in the past.

He said, “They are not known for keeping their end of the bargain, but let us wait and see what happens. This agreement should be matched with action. These people should not be allowed to go free no matter what.

“Their flags should be burnt up. Their leader is dead and they could have agreed to ceasefire because of that. We have to take precaution. They should not take us unawares again.”

The leader of BringBackOurGirls campaign team, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, expressed hope that the ceasefire would be sustained.

She said in her Tweet, “Like many of you, I simply cannot afford another heart shattering episode and so we are praying that what we are all reading is true.”

Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana, said, “Whereas the authorities of the Armed Forces have already announced a ceasefire, we are yet to hear from the Boko Haram Sect. So, we hope it is not a unilateral ceasefire. I also hope that the ceasefire is total on the part of the Federal Government and the implication of that is that it should lead to suspension of further trial of soldiers for mutiny.

“If you are suspending further hostilities with the Boko Haram sect, that means there is no point any longer in putting the boys on trial for asking for more arms to fight the sect.”

But Nigeria’s Chief Security Spokesman told AFP on Friday that there was no deal with the Boko Haram sect for the release of Chibok schoolgirls after the Federal Government had said an accord had been reached.

Asked if a deal for the release of the girls had been finalised, the head of the National Information Centre, Mike Omeri, said, “No. That part has not been agreed but we are inching closer and closer.”

“Already, the terrorists have announced a ceasefire in furtherance of their desire for peace,” Omeri said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, had yet to make categorical statement over the ceasefire deal as of the time of filing this report.

The governor’s media associate, Isa Gusau, said the governor would make comments at the appropriate time.

A human rights lawyer, Wahab Shittu, had described the news of the ceasefire agreement between the Federal Government and Boko Haram as a “welcome development”.

He expressed hope that the ongoing negotiations would lead to the release of the abducted Chibok girls.

He said, “Every option that can be explored in getting this insurgency to come to an end ought to be welcomed by all Nigerians. This is an insurgency that has destroyed valuable lives and properties. It has also impeded development and constituted a threat to the democratic process, so everybody is concerned. If there is ceasefire, it is something that all of us should celebrate because today, Nigerians live in fear.”

Meanwhile, parents of the abducted girls, represented by the BringBackOurGirls coalition, have expressed doubts over the ceasefire arrangement.

The parents noted that there had been similar promise of ceasefire in the past which did not amount to anything, but expressed the hope that the current efforts would yield results and lead to the release of the schoolgirls and other victims.

The Media Coordinator of the group, Mr. Rotimi Olawale, said the negotiation should also extend to every victim of Boko Haram abduction, including men, women and girls in the sect’s captivity.

Meanwhile, a Nigerian journalist, Ahmad Salkida, and activist, Shehu Sanni, who had been involved in negotiations with the extremist sect expressed doubt over the ceasefire deal.

Salkida, who doubted the deal on his Twitter page, said, “I guess Nigerians are tired and as such, any news that offers respite on this protracted war between Nigeria and Boko Haram is always welcomed. Sadly, anybody that despises such good news becomes Nigeria’s enemy.

“But the leadership of Boko Haram is said to be miffed that a nation of the size and magnitude of Nigeria, with high level of intelligent people is being easily encased in deceit and nobody seems to be asking tough questions.

“What is most worrying here is that the government at the highest level and intelligence has embraced this ‘good news.’ This shows lack of understanding of the reality that this is an ideology that can only be neutralised after long hard work that has yet to start.

“It also appears that the government is more interested in shadows and bubbles than in substance and clear-headed engagement with the group.”

Sani said his contacts told him Boko Haram members had denied Ahmadu as their representative.

He said on his Twitter page: “All my attempts to confirm the ceasefire deal did not produce any result. My sources are telling me that they don’t know who that person is. For Boko Haram to reach any ceasefire, such information must come from the leader of the group.

“Any statement that is not coming from the leader of the group cannot be said to be credible and will not be complied with by the group members. The leader is the only person they respect and listen to.”

An analyst for the BBC, Will Ross, said it was a surprising development given the fact that there had not been any indication of negotiations going on between the Federal Government and the militant group.

He said, “Nigerian officials had not given any indication that negotiations with Boko Haram were taking place. Even though there had been rumours of talks in neighbouring Chad, this is a very surprising development.

“Many Nigerians are extremely sceptical about the announcement especially as there has been no definitive word from the jihadists.

“The military has in the past released statements about the conflict in North-East Nigeria that have turned out to be completely at odds with the situation on the ground.

“So many here will only celebrate when the violence stops and the hostages are free.”

Photos: Singer Alicia Keys leads #BringBackOurGirls rally in NYC

To commemorate the 6th month of the abduction of Chibok Girls in Borno state on April 14th, US singer Alicia Keys led other women to the United Nations Headquarters in New York where they called for continued efforts towards the release of the abducted girls. Alicia Keys said it is important everyone keeps talking about the issue until it is resolved because humans have the tendency to move on quickly...

Chibok girls: Police stop protesters’ march to Villa

Policemen on Tuesday frustrated moves by the BringBackOurGirls group to march to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, to engage with President Goodluck Jonathan, on efforts of the security agencies to rescue the 219 Chibok schoolgirls in Boko Haram captivity.

The protesters were stopped from accessing the villa gate and their protest was restricted to the Yakubu Gowon Crescent, Asokoro, Abuja, where they were addressed by an all-female government delegation including the Minister for Women Affairs, Hajia Zainab Maina, the Minister of Environment, Mrs. Lawrencia Laraba-Mallam, the Minister of Land and Housing, Mrs. Akon Eyakenyi, and the Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe.

Motorists and pedestrians, who wanted to use the Gowon Crescent access road to the villa, were turned back by stern-looking security personnel, who barricaded the road with their vehicles.

Maina, while addressing the movement said the Federal Government was doing everything possible to ensure the safe release of the schoolgirls.

She said, “We are here to meet you because Mr. President is very busy today and he cannot come out. The government is trying all it could to make sure that these girls are brought back. They are our daughters. We are all mothers; as much as it hurts you, it hurts us. You know as well as we do that some of you are very much aware of the efforts that the government has been making to make sure that these our daughters are brought back alive.”

But the BBOG Coordinator and a former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwezili, accused the ministers of colluding with the police to prevent the protesters from meeting with Jonathan.

Actor Clems Onyeka killed by stray bullet in Asaba this afternoon

What a sad day! Popular Nollywood actor Clems Onyeka has died. He was gunned down by a stray bullet in Asaba this afternoon October 14th.

According to eye-witnesses, robbers who robbed a bank along Summit Express, were exchanging gun fire with police when Clems got hit by a stray bullet. He was just 37 years old. May his soul rest in peace...Amen.

Pay tax for what? Bishop Oyedepo reacts to being named richest pastor in the world

Winners Chapel GO Bishop David Oyedepo who recently turned 60, has reacted to the Forbes List of World's Richest pastors where he was placed at No.1 with an estimated worth of about $150million.

Asked about Forbes' estimate of his fortune, Bishop Oyedepo told Reuters that he doesn't know how Forbes arrived at their figure but says he's blessed...

    "For me, to have fortune means someone who has what he needs at any point in time. I don't see myself as having $150 million stacked up somewhere. Whatever way they found their figures, I am only able to say I am blessed by the Lord."

Asked if churches should pay tax considering how much they make, Bishop Oyedepo said;

    "There is no single government input on this premises. We supply our water, we make our roads, then you ... say: 'Let's tax them'. For what?"

Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseighas’son killed in Dubai, Jonathan mourns

Oyamuyefa, son of a former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, has been killed in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The deceased, popularly known as Oyoms, was killed on Saturday in the Middle East country.

The deceased’s father, who confirmed this to one of our correspondents, said, “He was killed in Dubai.”

The reason for Oyoms’ killing has yet to be established, but family sources alleged on Monday that the deceased was assassinated.

Two different versions have been given concerning where the former governor’s son was killed.

The first version, one of our correspondents learnt, was that Oyoms was found dead by the staircase of his father’s house in Dubai.

However, the second version alleged that the deceased’s body was found in his hotel room in Dubai, giving the impression that he might have been assassinated.

It could not be established whether Oyom’s father had travelled to Dubai to take possession of his son’s remains.

Indication that he might not have travelled out of the country emerged when he responded to a text message sent to his mobile phone on Monday by 12noon by one of our correspondents.

It was later learnt at about 2pm that the bereaved father had left for Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, in company with one of his sons to probably board a flight to Dubai.

However, as of the time of filing this report, the circumstances leading to Oyom’s death remained sketchy.

Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday said he received with shock and sadness the news of the death of Alamieyeseigha’s son.

He said he and his wife, Patience, shared in the grief of the deceased’s family.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, the President pledged the support of the Federal Government as the family strive to unravel the circumstances surrounding their son’s death.

The statement read, “On behalf of his family and the Federal Government, President Jonathan extends heartfelt condolences to Oyamuyefa’s father, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and his entire family on the untimely loss of a very dear son in the prime of his life.

“The President and the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, share their pain and grief over the death of Oyamuyefa in circumstances that are still unclear.

“President Jonathan assures Chief Alamieyeseigha and his family of the full support of the Federal Government as they strive to unravel the true circumstances of the young man’s death.

“He prays that God Almighty will receive Oyamuyefa’s soul and comfort his grieving parents and siblings.”

USA - Dallas nurse with Ebola has been identified

The Dallas nurse who contracted Ebola while treating Liberian Thomas Eric Duncan at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, has been identified at 26 year old Nina Pham. Nina, according to report, was among over 50 staff of the hospital that cared for Duncan who later died on October 8th.

Nina is said to probably have had the closest contact with Duncan, she was his personal nurse and was in his room often. She and others who cared for Duncan wore protective gear, including gowns, gloves, masks and face shields, and sometimes full-body suits but that didn't help Nina. She's officially the first person to contract the disease within the US.

She's currently being treated at the same hospital. Yesterday, she received a blood transfusion from Ebola survivor, Dr Kent Brantly. Hopefully she will make it.

Ebola: Liberian health workers plan strike

Liberian health officials are appealing to nurses and medical assistants not to go ahead with a national strike, as the Ebola epidemic continues.

The National Health Workers Association wants an increase in the monthly risk fee paid to those treating Ebola cases.

In the US, President Barack Obama has directed more steps to be taken to ensure high safety procedures when dealing with suspected Ebola patients.

A health worker treating an Ebola victim has herself caught the virus.

Liberia's Assistant Health Minister Tolbert Nyenswah said a strike would have negative consequences on those suffering from Ebola and would adversely affect progress made so far in the fight against the disease.

The government says the scale of the epidemic means it now cannot afford the risk fee originally agreed.

The risk fee is currently less than $500 a month, on top of basic salaries of between $200-$300. Staff are now seeking a risk fee of $700 a month.
File photo: A Liberian burial squad carry the body of an Ebola victim in Marshall, Margini county, Liberia, 25 September 2014 More than 4,000 people have died during the Ebola outbreak

The health workers also want personal protective equipment and insurance.

Ninety-five of their colleagues have so far died from Ebola. Liberia is one of the countries worst affected by the epidemic.

More than 4,000 people have so far died in the outbreak.

A new UN centre to co-ordinate the fight against the epidemic is being set up in Ghana.

UN aid workers and logisticians are being flown in to Accra, the BBC's Mark Doyle reports. Ghana itself has not so far seen any Ebola cases.

Six months after the epidemic began in west Africa there are still only about a quarter of the treatment beds required to tackle it.

Food is now in short supply as markets are disrupted in some parts of the three countries worst affected: Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

In Liberia, elections have been postponed because the gathering of people at polling stations would endanger lives.

UPDATE: Amosun’s convoy in road crash on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

Convoy of Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, was on Sunday involved in an accident around Sapade-Ajebo stretch at about 9.30am along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

A commercial bus loaded with foodstuffs, coming from the Ibadan end had rammed into one of the vehicles in the convoy occupied by some of the aides of the governor.

The damaged vehicle was reportedly taken back to Abeokuta.

Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, said there was no casualties and the governor is hale and hearty.

He said, “The accident only involved one of the vehicles at the rear of the convoy. The governor is alive. All other officials are alive. It was just a minor thing.

“We are already in Ekiti for the inauguration of the new Government House built by Governor Fayemi. Please, help us tell the people that the Governor is alive. The calls have been coming from people asking after his welfare.”

Ebola is now in the US. Dallas Health worker contract it

Looks like Ebola has relocated to the US. A health worker who helped in the treatment of Liberian man, Thomas Eric Duncan, who died on Wednesday October 8th, at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, Dallas, has contracted the disease.

Dallas state health officials released a statement today revealing the first case of Ebola transmission in the US

    "We knew a second case could be a reality, and we’ve been preparing for this possibility. We are broadening our team in Dallas and working with extreme diligence to prevent further spread.” Texas health commissioner. Dr. David Lakey said

The worker has been isolated since Friday night October 10th but his/her identity has not disclosed.

Breaking News in Abuja and Lagos

Please pay attention, something is happening in abuja and lagos now. People dressed like policemen, stop cars & ask 4 particulars. Pls on no condition shld u let them in ur car, they are kidnappers. Once they enter , they tell d driver that they are going to the police station.

They end up taking d person elsewhere & ask d person to call someone to come & bail them wit a ransome, It just happened to 2 people this morning, Also, be cautious when taking cabs at night, Pass on this information it may help someone!

Ebola: First Consultant indicts Liberian Ambassador

By Chioma Obinna & Gabriel Olawale

First Consultants Medical Centre, yesterday, indicted the Liberian Ambassador to Nigeria for complicity in the first Ebola case in Nigeria, saying the Ambassador put the hospital under pressure to release Sawyer against the wish of its management.

The Hospital also alleged that the Ambassador threatened to institute a lawsuit against it if Sawyer was not released.

Briefing journalists for the first time since its reopening in Lagos, the Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Benjamin Ohiaeri, said:”The ambassador said if we continued to keep him (Sawyer), it would be tantamount to kidnap and abuse of human right. He said if we did not release him, we would be subjecting our hospital to international diplomatic row and we should not rule out the possibility of law suit.”

Ohiaeri said amid pressure to discharge Sawyer, the management immediately conveyed a committee of three who concluded that although Sawyer has the right to sign against medical advice, they would not let him go for public good.

Regretting the loss of his four staff, two doctors and two nurses to the outbreak, he grieved that the entire hospital was bereaved. “As if that was not bad enough for us, the Liberian Ambassador to Nigeria started to put pressure on us that Mr Sawyer had his fundamental human right that he wanted to leave the hospital and he should be allowed to leave .”

“In other words, we have a provision within the law that allows the person to sign and leave the hospital. Meanwhile, there is a superior provision within that law which is that you can decline the patient for public good.”In order to protect ourselves as an institution, we called in our lawyer who drafted for us a resolution, stating that we were not going to let Sawyer out because it will not be in the public good to let him out.”

He also said one of their greatest challenges with Sawyer Ebola virus saga was when he insisted he must be discharged and unleashed his bio-terror on the staff.

Within that time Mr. Sawyer insisted that he wanted to exercise his right to leave the hospital and sign against medical advice and the executive committee of the hospital made up of three of us, myself, late Adadevoh and Dr. Abaniwo, Director clinical services, deliberately agreed that base on the confidence in our legendry physician, Dr. Adadevoh, we will not fall for it.

“Because we did not let him go, Mr. Sawyer unleashed his bio terror on the staff of the hospital. He knew he had the disease, he was angry to the extent that he released his blood to contaminate our people as they came in.

“We lost four of our key staff who included, Dr. Adadevoh, she worked here for 21 years, Dr. Amos Abaniwo, our Chief consultant Anesthesiology and Director of clinical service, had been with us for 16 years. Dr. Adadevoh died leaving the husband and a son, Dr. Abaniwo died leaving his wife and three kids, the third person that died was a nurse Ejeleonu, she just started working with us that day. Unknown to us she was two months pregnant and she died with the pregnancy. The fourth person that died was nurse Evelyn Uko who had been working with us for the past 31 years. She was a widow, a single parent raising four children, she died living those children with us, multiple tragedy because the four children were kicked out of the home because of the stigma. So watching her is a combination of so much burden on First Consultant.