Headlines
188 Persons Die of Lassa Fever As FG Battles COVID-19
A total of 188 persons have so far died of Lassa fever in Nigeria this year.
This is coming at a time the world, including Nigeria, is battling the spread of the dreaded coronavirus.
According to a report by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, the casualty figure was recorded between January 1 and April 5, 2020.
Lassa fever is a disease spread to humans through food or household items contaminated with rodent urine or faeces.
The disease is endemic to the West African country and its name comes from the town of Lassa in northern Nigeria where it was first identified in 1969.
It is endemic in parts of West Africa including Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria. Neighbouring countries are also at risk.
The NCDC’s report also indicated that Nigeria had so far recorded 963 confirmed cases and 14 probable cases of the disease this year.
These are against the 537 confirmed cases and 15 probable cases recorded during the same first 14 weeks of 2019.
The confirmed and probable cases recorded this year are from the 4,287 suspected cases documented during the same period.
The cases are said to be spread across 27 states and 126 local government areas across the country.
The report read, “In Week 14 (of 2020), the number of new confirmed cases decreased from 19 cases in week 13 to 12 cases.
“Cumulatively from week 1 to week 14 of 2020, 188 deaths have been reported with a case fatality rate of 19.5 per cent which is lower than the CFR for the same period in 2019 (22.7 per cent).
“In total for 2020, 27 states have recorded at least one confirmed case across 126 Local Government Areas.”
A breakdown of the confirmed cases according to states showed that Edo State has the highest number of confirmed cases with 314.
The state is followed by Ondo (309), Ebonyi (73), Taraba (55), Bauchi (43), Kogi (34), and Plateau (28), among others.
Of the 188 deaths, Edo again has the highest number of 39 deaths.
The state is followed by Ondo (44), Taraba (21), Bauchi (18), Ebonyi (16), Kogi (8), and Plateau (6) and Kaduna (5) among others.
Kaduna State recorded the five deaths at a period it recorded seven confirmed cases.
The number of suspected cases in the country has increased significantly to 4,287 compared to the 2,133 reported for the same period in 2019.
As part of response activities, the NCDC said the National Emergency Operations Centre had been activated to coordinate response activities across states while states with confirmed cases gave activated state-level EOCs.
It added that National Rapid Response Teams had been deployed from the centre to support response activities in 10 states.
It said the five molecular laboratories for the Lassa fever testing in the centre’s network were working full capacity to ensure that all samples are tested and results provided within the shortest turnaround time.
The Punch
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called for an independent, transparent, and comprehensive investigation into the academic and professional credentials of all members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), beginning with President Bola Tinubu himself.
Atiku’s call comes in the wake of the recent resignation of the former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, over an alleged certificate scandal.
Following the controversy surrounding the authenticity of his academic qualifications, Nnaji tendered his resignation on Tuesday. He, however, maintains that his resignation is not an admission of guilt.
Reacting to the development in a post on his X handle on Wednesday, Atiku said the resignation of the former minister has “once again brought to light the deep moral crisis at the heart of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.”
The former Vice President also questioned Tinubu’s own credentials, alleging that they have been the subject of controversy for decades. He, therefore, called for a thorough investigation into the credentials of all FEC members, starting with the President.
“This episode is not isolated. It is a reflection of a pattern — a rot that begins from the very top. The man who occupies the office of President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has for decades been enmeshed in controversies surrounding his identity, age, and academic records.
“From the Chicago State University saga to multiple contradictory claims under oath, the world has seen ample evidence that Nigeria today is led by a man who himself has been unable to credibly defend the authenticity of his own certificates.
“When a man of questionable identity leads a country, deception becomes the standard of governance. Tinubu’s personal history of alleged forgery and perjury has effectively institutionalized falsehood in public service.
“It is, therefore, unsurprising that his ministers and aides have taken after his example — falsifying documents, inflating records, and desecrating the moral foundation of our nation.
“I, therefore, call for an independent, transparent, and comprehensive investigation into the academic and professional credentials of all members of the Federal Executive Council, beginning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu himself. Nigerians deserve to know the truth about those who preside over their lives and resources.
“Tuesday’s resignation of Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, has once again brought to light the deep moral crisis at the heart of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
“What should ordinarily be a matter of national shame is now being disguised as a ‘voluntary resignation’ — an attempt to whitewash yet another scandal that typifies the forgery-ridden character of this government,” Atiku said.
He condemned President Tinubu’s decision to allow Nnaji an honourable resignation rather than a dismissal.
“Let the truth be told: Uche Nnaji should not have been allowed the courtesy of resignation. He should have been summarily dismissed and prosecuted for deceit and falsification.
“By permitting him to quietly exit through the back door, the Tinubu administration has once again demonstrated that it is an assembly of forgers, impostors, and morally bankrupt individuals masquerading as public servants.”
Atiku also berated the Department of State Services (DSS), questioning how Nnaji’s alleged certificate scandal escaped detection during the screening process prior to his appointment.
“What makes this even more embarrassing is that the same Department of State Services (DSS), which screened out Mallam Nasir El-Rufai for alleged ‘security concerns’, is the very agency that cleared this same character, Uche Nnaji.
“The DSS truly deserves our flowers for this national disgrace. Their failure of due diligence has made Nigeria an object of ridicule before the world and raises the question: how many more such individuals are occupying sensitive positions in this government?”
President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, accepted Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s departure as chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following the expiration of his second term in office.
Yakubu was first appointed in November 2015 as the 14th chairman of the commission for an initial term of five years.
The appointment, which was renewed in 2020, has now expired due to the passage of time.
President Tinubu thanked Professor Yakubu for his services to the nation and his efforts to sustain Nigeria’s democracy, particularly through the organisation of free and fair elections throughout his two-term tenure.
In recognition of Yakubu’s dedicated service to the nation, President Tinubu has bestowed on him the honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).
President Tinubu also directed that Professor Yakubu should hand over to the most senior national commissioner, May Agbamuche-Mbu, who will direct the affairs of the Commission until the completion of the process to appoint a successor.
In the letter dated October 3, 2025, Professor Yakubu thanked the President for the opportunity to serve the nation as chairman of the commission since 2015.
The Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, has resigned his position following allegations of certificate forgery levelled against him.
President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the resignation in a statement on Tuesday, saying the President has accepted the Minister’s decision to step down.
He added that “President Tinubu appointed Nnaji in August 2023. He resigned today in a letter thanking the President for allowing him to serve Nigeria.”
Onanuga further quoted the former Minister as saying he had “been a target of blackmail by political opponents.”
“President Tinubu thanked him for his service and wished him well in future endeavours,” the statement added.
