Home » News Update » We’ll count on prayers, support of Nigerians – Jonathan

We’ll count on prayers, support of Nigerians – Jonathan

… Corps member donates N10,000 to President’s re-election bid
President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday said that he will continue to count on the support, goodwill and prayers of patriotic Nigerians as he strives to give the best possible leadership for the country.
In a letter to a young Nigerian who sent a donation of N10, 000 as a humble contribution to the
President’s re-election bid, President Jonathan said that he was deeply touched and encouraged by the immense support his administration receives from young Nigerians from all parts of the country.
Jonathan, according to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said: “Your gracious gesture is particularly gratifying, coming as it does from one of our nation’s vibrant and gifted youth who are our successor generation and for whom our administration is unequivocally committed to providing the requisite environment to optimally realize their tremendous creative and productive potentials.
“As I carry on with the task of positively transforming our country for its God-ordained greatness and prosperity, I will continue to count on the goodwill as well as the practical and prayerful support of committed patriots like you.”
The President thanked Ezemagu Sunday Nnamdi, who is a youth corps member for the donation which was sent before the Peoples’ Democratic Party adopted him as its sole candidate for the 2015 presidential election.
He also welcomed his expression of faith in the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to reposition Nigeria for sustained growth and development.
President Jonathan assured Nnamdi and other young Nigerians that he will continue to do his best in the service of the nation in keeping with their trust and expectations.
In the letter forwarding his donation, the corps member assured the President of the continued support of patriotic Nigerians and urged him to seek re-election in 2015.
“Nigerians are behind you. We see your good works in power, transportation, education, housing, ICT, sports, electoral reforms, observation of the principle of federal character and the creation of investment opportunities.
“The insurgents who are trying to destabilize your administration are enemies of peace and progress. You will surely defeat them,” he wrote.

Survivor Of Synagogue Church Collapse Recounts Ordeal

A man who claims he spent over 24 hours under the rubble of TB Joshua’s Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) blamed “Satan” rather than structural failure for the collapse.
Taiwo Taiwo was among 131 people pulled from the remains of the guesthouse for foreign followers of preacher TB Joshua that collapsed on September 12. The incident took at least 80 people’s lives.
According to Taiwo, he was helping visitors at the guesthouse, which could accommodate up to 350 people in its dining hall. He said the accident happened at about 1:10 pm and he was only pulled free at 5:05 pm the following day. Miraculously, Taiwo appeared unscathed apart from a bandaged finger.
“Most of them were actually in the church having a lecture from the Wise Man (Joshua). People were coming back to have their lunch,” said the 28-year-old.

“I just noticed a very sharp sound and I looked up and I saw the wall just coming off…, like something you see in the movies. It didn’t look real.
“Consciously, the (Holy) Spirit said to me, ‘This is not normal’. Next thing…, it was all dark. People were screaming, shouting. I just kept calm,” he added.
Taiwo, who said he was a recent graduate of the University of West London, believed that sabotage was to blame.

Taiwo Taiwo

“I believe it was an attack. Obviously every thing that is not good comes from Satan.

“The idea… that people are thinking that it is a collapse, it’s not possible… I’m very sure of that because the structure was solid,” he said.
As Vanguard reports, there was no independent corroboration of Taiwo’s account. Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has said survivors had typically suffered broken bones and injuries from being crushed.
Recently, TB Joshua has broadcast security camera footage on his emmanuel.tv network, which he said showed a “strange aircraft” flying low over the building four times between 11:30 am and 11:54 am. And the building is then seen to collapse at 12:44 pm, according to the camera’s time-codes. The prophet called the incident “an attack on the Synagogue Church of All Nations and in particular Prophet TB Joshua”.
However, the Lagos state government has indicated that the addition of extra floors onto the building without strengthening the foundations caused the fatal collapse and ordered an investigation.
Survivors of the tragedy have so far not spoken publicly about their ordeal in Lagos, although South Africans who returned home have recounted their lucky escape from the rubble.
South Africa’s high commissioner to Nigeria, Lulu Mnguni, told The Times newspaper that one woman pulled out a steel bar that had pierced her chest and missed her vital organs and spine.

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Pic: Newborn baby found in toilet pipe after student gives birth and runs

A young student in a university in China, who hid her pregnancy throughout, gave birth to a baby girl inside a toilet pipe, hoping the baby would flush down the pipe. Fortunately the pipe wasn't wide enough to take the baby down and so her body became wedged a short way down the pipe. The baby immediately started crying and the new mum fled. Fortunately, the baby's cries was loud enough to attract the attention of other students who immediately raised an alarm.

Firemen were called to the student dormitory in the city of Linyi in China's Shandong Province, and they immediately went to work to free the new born

 

But firemen couldn't free the child from above (pictured during the rescue mission). Fire Brigade spokesman Tao Fang told a local newspaper

"It was impossible to get the baby out from above. She had fallen into the toilet and gone down the pipes were she had got stuck between the third and fourth floors. We used an angle grinder to break open the pipeline on the third floor and we could then push the child up to colleagues on the fourth floor where she was handed to medics who were waiting to take her to hospital."

The police tracked down the child's mother who was a student living in the hotel and they took her to the hospital. Police say they are waiting to question her before deciding what she might be charged with.

Very graphic: See pics of Boko Haram militants killed by Nigerian troops

Just got these exclusive but very graphic photos of Boko Haram members killed by the Nigerian troops at Konduga in Borno this week. The pic above is the new CS/VP3 MRAP that was recently purchased. It aided in the victory of the soldiers over the insurgents. Find the pics after the cut...but warning biko, it is very very graphic...


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8 Ebola awareness workers killed by villagers in Guinea

8 Ebola awareness workers including 3 journalists & 5 health workers were killed by angry villagers on Tuesday Sept. 16th in Wome village, same village where the Ebola virus broke out early this year.

The workers were killed while out creating awareness and distributing flyers about Ebola. According to reports, the villagers, who believe the Ebola outbreak is a fabricated story, began throwing rocks at the delegation who arrived to do disinfection work and educate people about how to prevent Ebola.

According to a journalist who escaped and later spoke to a radio station in Guinea, she said residents who have always rebuffed government's effort in containing the spread of the virus, gathered around them, first started by insulting them then the physical assault started. Overall, 8 people were killed.

Damantang Albert Camara, a government official who spoke on the incident said the bodies of the workers were dumped in the septic tank of a primary school in the village. Their bodies were found yesterday September 18th.  

"On Thursday, the eight bodies were found in the septic tank of the primary school in the village. Three of them had their throats slit. They had been killed in cold blood by the villagers" he said

Church Building Collapses In Edo

One person has died under the rubble of a building that collapsed in Benin, Edo State capital, on Friday, 19 September, 2014.
According to the Nation report, the collapsed one-storey building located at 22, First Uzama Street, Off Oliha Quartres in Benin belongs to Christ Chosen Church of God. The incident occurred at about 12.45pm on Friday.
According to the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Foluso Adebanjo, one person has been confirmed dead while five others were rescued alive with injuries. He said there were however speculations that two more people were still be trapped in the rubbles.

The ruins of Christ Chosen Church God after collapse

“One is unfortunately dead. Though there are rumours that we still have two people there; of course, there is absolute calm for now,” Mr. Adebanjo said.

It was gathered that the building, before it collapsed, served as offices to pastors in the church. However, the church management hired youths to demolish it because they wanted more space in the compound.
According to one of the workmen who survived, four out of nine people were inside the building when it collapsed.

The ruins of Christ Chosen Church God after collapse

“Some of us went out to eat because we were hungry. As we were eating, we saw many people rush to where we were coming from. We thought it was a fire outbreak. But when we got there, we discovered that the building has collapsed.

“We were nine in number but four of my colleagues were in the building before it collapsed. Two were brought out alive with injuries. One died and was brought out and two others are still under the building, dead,” the worker said.
Reportedly, officials of the church ran away after the building came down.
The residents blamed the church management for using young people to destroy the church instead of hiring a bulldozer.

Rescuers bring out an injured survivor

The collapse of the building almost resulted in chaos as some angry youth vandalized and set ablaze a bus owned by the church in protest of the incident.

Church vehicle set ablaze by angry residents

It would be recalled that a building at the Synagogue Church Of All Nations, SCOAN, in Ikotun area of Lagos also collapsed on Friday, 12 September, 2014.
According to the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, at least 80 people died from the collapsed building believed to be a guest house of the Synagogue Church.

Husband Sells his Own Wife to Ritualists

Money is good, but the love of money is the root of all evil.
Men of the Nigerian police force have arrested a man for selling his own wife to black magic practitioners who were looking for a vir-gin to sacrifice, all in a bid to make quick money.

According to police, the deal which was struck in the central Nigerian state of Plateau was cancelled at the last minute when the ritualists realised that the woman was not a vir-gin but a housewife.

“The man lured his wife to a bush under the pretext of fetching firewood and sold her to two ritualists for 800,000 naira (about $5,000), Plateau state police spokesman Abuh Emmanuel told AFP. He said the man, from Kwalla town, lied to the ritualists that the woman was a virgin and had been given part of the money.

“When the ritualists discovered that the woman was the man’s wife, they asked her to go because she could not be used for the sacrifice,” he said.

The husband and his two accomplices were arrested after the wife reported the incident to the police.

“The suspects are in our custody and will be taken to court for criminal conspiracy and an attempted murder,” he said.

Photo: Thousands of People Queuing Just to Buy the iPhone 6

The craze to be among the first to own the new iPhone 6 is so strong that some can do anything for it. lol!

Tinubu is Back to Nigeria, Rubbishes Rumors of Sickness

APC national leaders and former Governor of Lagos, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, returned to Nigeria on Thursday after a prolonged trip abroad and denied rumors that he was seriously ill.

Speaking to reporters at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Tinubu said he was never indisposed during his trip abroad. He asked God to forgive those who spread rumors about his ill health.

“I’m as fit as a fiddle,” said the former governor. He added: “There was nothing wrong before I left the country. We had the Osun gubernatorial election and I’d planned a long vacation and some other research assignments in the political arena. It was to learn from people who had experienced the development of opposition parties in the past.”

Defending the apparent secrecy about his location abroad, Mr. Tinubu said, “I don’t have to disclose to people my vacation location. But it was very shocking and sad that there were speculations about my health. This is a sign of the lack of trust people have for leadership in the country. When I had the knee problem, I disclosed to Nigerians that I was going for a knee surgery and I came back. Even then, they started peddling rumors. I don’t know whether some people deliberately insinuate that I have a medical problem. It seems like a deliberate falsehood to me. It is all lies. There was no day that I had the need for even Panadol since I left this country for this trip. I was very busy, reading and talking to people of great intelligence that I believe I could gain from, politically.”

To all those spreading rumours that he was sick, Tinubu said “I wish them all they wish for me.”

Speaking on Nigerian politics, the APC leader said that Nigerians had become tired of the kind of leadership provided by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). “The entire nation has lost its trust in the ruling party. It is a challenging time and we have to be very careful. The APC has all the ingredients to save Nigeria and we shall save our dear country,” he said.

Photo: Fashola meets the Men and Woman who survived Ebola

In a bid to discourage stigmatization, Governor Fashola hosted Ebola survivors in his office on Thursday. Good

Ebola "Cure": Nigerian Professor Might Face Prosecution

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) threatened on September 16 to arrest the Nigerian professor who claimed that vegetable Ewedu could cure Ebola.

Ewedu (long-fruited vegetable)

It would be recalled that about a week ago Adebukola Ositelu, professor of ‎Ophthalmology at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and consultant at the Lagos University Hospital (LUTH), said that the native vegetable Ewedu might be used both to prevent and treat the deadly virus.
Reacting to the claims, NAFDAC described them as unverified and threatened the scholar with legal proceedings, Vanguard reports.
Paul Orhii, Director General of the body said such statements by health representatives could mislead people during the hard period of Ebola outrage.

Although there is currently no active case of infection recorded in the country, Orhii lamented that the Nigerians have been badly traumatized in the recent period in connection with the virus outrage.

“One consequence of these unsupported and possibly fraudulent claims is that people may be misled into a false sense of invincibility on account of eating Ewedu or bitter kola and drop their guards. This is a national embarrassment and the Agency will not take such uncorroborated claims by supposedly learned people lightly. These professors should not be patronised by Nigerians. Anybody who claims to have a cure for Ebola should come to NAFDAC, the Ethics Committee or the Treatment Research Group set up by the Federal government than causing more panic in the country. NAFDAC will immediately arrest and prosecute any Nigerian making such unverified claims as that could mislead the public.”

There is still no approved vaccine against Ebola. Since the emergence of first EVD case in Nigeria, the rumours about various kinds of treatment have been introduced locally.
First the reports about the “magic power” of bitter kola started making rounds, but the rumour was soon debunked by the Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu.
Then a more dangerous cure was suggested and it rapidly spread in the social media. According to the information provided, drinking and bathing in hot water with salt could help prevent and get rid of Ebola. As a result of this false report several people died trying to protect themselves from the virus.
Meanwhile the hemorrhagic fever has already claimed more than 2,300 lives in West Africa, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The figure is expected to rise.

NAFDAC Nabs Importer Of Fake Ebola Kits

Two men have been apprehended in Lagos, western Nigeria for selling unapproved Ebola Virus test kits and expired hand sanitizers, this is according to the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and ‎Control, NAFDAC.
Disclosing this to journalists on Tuesday, 16 Septem ber, 2014, was the Director General of NAFDAC, Dr Paul Orhii, at the agency’s branch in Oshodi, Lagos.
According to Orhii, the arrested suspects were caught importing all sorts of products including expired hand sanitisers in other to cash in on the unfortunate Ebola incidence in the country.

One of the arrested suspected importer of fke Ebola kits, Bamisedun

“We wonder how some people can be so callous to make money out of this situation. The most troubling is the case of Mr James Nnaji of 116, Oguta road, Onitsha, who imported expired brands of hand sanitisers through NAHCO Lagos,” Orhii said.


According to the NAFDAC boss, products such as, a Soft care natural, Soft care lemon, Soft care lavender, Soft care apple, all of which expired in ‎December 29, 2012, two years ago, “but yet found their way into the country.”

Orhii also informed that the agency recently detected the sale of unevaluated and untested ‘Rapid Response Ebola Virus test kits’  being  marketed by one Mr John Ojewale of Multi Profucts Medical Supply Company Limited.
It was gathered that after the suspect was apprehended, he confessed that one Lateef Bamisedun supplied him the kits, which were ‎allegedly imported from Canada.

“Lateef Bamisedun was arrested and he confessed to have imported the kits from Canada. The danger associated with the use of substandard hand sanitisers and untested Ebola Test kits is indeed grave and could derail all efforts put in place to contain the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease in the country,”  the NAFDAC boss stated.

Arrested importer of fake Ebola kit, James Nnaji.

Orhii informed that the agency has seized at least 106 brands that were illegally imported into the country without NAFDAC certification.


He added that NAFDAC officers have been placed at the country’s entry points which include the seaports, airports and land borders to check the ugly trend.
Orhii also urged members of the public to report any suspected case of fake and unregistered products, as well as not to patronise such ‘test kits’.
He commended the effort of health minister, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu and other health workers for waging war against the deadly Ebola virus in Nigeria.
The Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, according to the health ministry, has killed no fewer than seven people in Nigeria while 19 others have been infected with the virus since the late Patrick Sawyer brought the disease into Lagos on 20 July, 2014.

Boko Haram Crowns New Emir In Bama

The dreaded terrorist group, Boko Haram has reportedly crowned a new Emir in Bama North, a town that has been under controversial debate for some time now.
According to Vanguard, this was made known to the National Assembly by Senator Ali Ndume representing Borno North.
 

Senator Ndume, who described the development as an insult on the sovereignty of the nation further pointed out that when the terrorist group started its nuisance, their numerical strength was very poor when compared to what is now obtained.
The Gwoza born Senator said the members of the sect were not up to 100 and did not have AK47, as such weapons were only available to the country’s security operatives, but still government did not take their threat seriously and wipe them out.
“Yesterday in Bama, a new emir was installed by the Boko Haram. Recently, we reluctantly under your leadership (Mark’s) and I will say maybe, under your influence or instruction, conceded to the third or fourth state of emergency“ he said.
According to him, if the state of emergency was not approved then, the situation in the area would have been worse but not more than what is already obtained today.

“In those days, when we approved the first and second state of emergency, our soldiers were not running away, but the story before us today is that our soldiers are forced to abandon their duty posts not only to run back to their headquarters, but to move in to another country-Cameroon.
“We all know that Cameroon, as a country is not more than Lagos and Ogun states combined. So that means their strength cannot be more than Lagos and Ogun.  And we have the army strength of more than 100,000 and I strongly believe that these Boko Haram members, even with the conscripted ones cannot be more than 10,000. But if you see the things that they did when they took over Gwoza, from the report I received, you would not imagine that the act was perpetrated by such insignificant number of insurgents” he said.
The Senator further revealed that most of the sect members initially did not have guns, and wondered how they managed to come this far.

“These Boko Haram boys, initially, many of them didn’t have even guns. I know you don’t send a soldier to any assignment without at least an AK-47. So if less than 100 people with less than 100 AK-47 would chase away 500 soldiers with AK-47, abandoning their APC, ammunition and everything, then you should know that something is wrong”  Ndume said.
It would be recalled that on September 1, 2014, Boko Haram terrorist group reportedly took over the second largest town, Bama in Borno state, before the Nigerian Army later announced that it repelled the terrorists attack and killed over 50 of its members.
Meanwhile, the state of emergency imposed on Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states by the Federal Government seems not to have achieved the desired aim as the sect continued its deadly attacks.

Armed Robbers Narrate How They Rob Their Victims

Operatives of the Special Anti Robbery Squad, SARS, Ikeja, Lagos have arrested two members of a five-man robbery gang who specialised in robbing unsuspecting passengers who board commercial cab along Badagry-Mile 2 route.

The Suspects, Ahmed and Victoria

The two suspects which include a woman and a man operate along Seme-Badagry- Mile 2 route have been identified as Ahmed Isiaka and Victoria Amodu, according to police sources.

The woman, 27-year-old Victoria narrated what led her into being an armed robber:
“I was arrested last Wednesday at Dakar Hotel in Seme where I used to work as a prostitute.“I am from Edo State. I came to Lagos last February to look for greener pastures when my husband was constantly beating me.
We were married for eight years.“I abandoned my husband and three children and came to Lagos with the intention of living under the bridge until I found a place to lay my head.
READ ALSO: How We Spend Our Money – Armed Robbers
Fortunately for me, I didn’t have to sleep under the bridge as I met a lady in a commercial bus I boarded who had compassion on me when she saw me crying in the bus.

“She took me to the hotel where she was working as a prostitute and introduced me into the league of prostitutes.

“Everything was going on well until Okanlawon patronised me in the hotel. The first time we spent the night together. After that night I didn’t see him again untill three weeks later.
She said the same, Okanlawon intorduced her into the business after she accompanied him and realised he strated picking passengers and he and his gang attacked them.
However, she said she told him that she did not want to be involved in such operations “but he  threatened to deal with me, saying nobody would know my whereabouts if I didn’t co-operate with the gang.“That was why I had a rethink and continued to participate in robbery operations. The first time I participated, I wasn’t given anything while at two other times I was given N15,000 and N10,000 respectively.”
One of the suspects, Ahmed who was arrested by a female police officer investigating the case after a victim reported the matter at the Ojo Police Division led to the arrest of Victoria but other members escaped.
Apparently the female officer dressed in mufti fell a victim after boarding their vehicle, but she was able to get details of the vehicle during the attack.
The cab was later traced to Iyana-Iba the next day when unsuspecting passengers were already boarding it and that’s how Ahmed was arrested.
The second suspect, 33-year-old Ahmed Isiaka from Kwara State narrated to Vanguard how he got involved in such business saying:
“I was introduced to the gang by Okanlawon last November. Other members of the gang are Nuru, Victoria and Isiaka.“I am the driver of the operational vehicle, a Honda Accord, while Nuru used to drive the back-up vehicle, a Mazda.
READ ALSO: Police Arrest A Mother For Armed Robbery

“We used to operate along Iyana-Iba-Badagry expressway. Usually, Victoria sits at the front while another member sits at the back. I take passengers from Iyana-Iba bus stop going to Badagry. Before we get to a lonely area between Agbara and Oko-Afo the other members of the gang in the back-up vehicle would signal me to stop.
“Immediately, I receive the signal, I would pretend like the vehicle was faulty then park and pretended to be fixing the vehicle. While this was going on, the other members would strike.
“We don’t use guns or juju to rob passengers, instead we use wheel spanner. We don’t even make them unconscious during operation. Usually we operate in the night. Sometimes we operate in broad daylight.“
Depending on our loot, I could get as much as N10,000 from one operation. And I have participated in about four robbery operations.“Okanlawon used to take all the phones we get from operations.
Before I joined the gang I was a commercial bus driver.“I am married with a child. I used to live at Ibafo before my rent expired and I moved to 1, Denton Street in Oyingbo.”
Meanwhile the gang’s mode of operation was using two operational vehicles, one of the suspects, Ahmed would sit in the driver’s seat while Victoria, the only female suspect in the gang sits in front and another gang member at the back as unsuspecting passengers board the cab.
While the other two members would sit in the back-up vehicle. Immediately they get to a lonely place along the road, the gang members in the back-up cab would signal the driver with the passenger to stop by flashing his phone.The driver would then pretend to be fixing his vehicle that would have suddenly become faulty. This will allow those in the back-up vehicle to launch an attack. That way the passengers won’t suspect any foul play.
Another method was for them to use one vehicle with Victoria sitting beside the driver to pick passengers without the back-up vehicle.

$9.3m: FG Releases Documents In Support Of The Deal Legality

Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor

The Nigerian authorities started diplomatic talks with South African authorities regarding the seizure of $9.3m allegedly illegally imported to the country on a private jet.


It would be recalled that two Nigerians and and Israeli arrived weekend in a private aircraft with the said sum of money packed in several suitcases.

The cash imported against procedure was reportedly aimed at buying arms for the Nigerian security, the 3 passengers said.
According to Vanguard, the Federal Government (FG) spoke in defence of the deal insisting it was legal and not arms smuggling, as alleged.
It was also found out yesterday that the jet belonged to the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, who leased the Challenger to Green Coast Produce Limited since August 2 and thus denied any knowledge of the deal.

Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor

To confirm the legality of the deal the FG released data and documents on the transaction process to South African colleagues.

It was gathered that following the provision of proof, which the South African authorities found convincing, the jet might have been released to the Nigerian government pending the conclusion of the investigation.
The report says that the diplomatic talks involved not only governmental officials but also intelligence services representatives, with important security information attached in support of the deal legality.
The South African colleagues however criticized “non-declaration” of the money by the Nigerian delegation. It would be recalled that it was one of the reason why the cash was seized: the procedure of importation of the said amount violated the applicable law.
Vanguard source commented on the development saying:
“The Federal Government has submitted relevant data and documents on the transaction to South Africa and insisted that the transaction was legitimate. It also clarified that the funds were neither laundered nor smuggled for any covert manoeuvres. No launderer will be audacious to fly into a country in a chartered jet with such huge cash… Based on initial scrutiny of the documents, the Challenger Jet has been released pending conclusion of a full-scale investigation by South Africa.”
The source characterized the procedural error, specifically failure to declare the money, as an “oversight” by the Nigerian delegation adding:
“Nigeria is trying to complete the formality and we are confident that the cash will be released for the purpose it was meant for. Movement of cash for strategic purchase of security equipment by intelligence services is not new; it is a global trend. The FBI, KGB, MOSSAD and others do it.”

Senate Tells Jonathan To Declare Full Scale War On Insurgents

The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday told President Goodluck Jonathan to declare full scale war on the dreaded terrorist group, Boko Haram and halt its menace once and for all.
The Senators, who resumed from their two-month vacation, said the terrorists have already declared war on Nigeria, Vanguard reports.
The lawmakers while expressing disappointment over the manner the fight against insurgency had been carried out directed the Senate President, David Mark to meet with the President and service chiefs to brainstorm on better ways of curbing their destructive activities.
Responding, Senator Mark, while delivering his welcome address, pointed out that the sect’s menace was aimed at marring Nigeria’s independence.
He noted that the increasing violence being perpetuated by the terrorist on daily basis including the declaration of a caliphate in Gwoza, is very alarming.
The Senate President further revealed that the Senate has forwarded President Jonathan’s $1 billion loan request to fight terrorism to its committees on Foreign, Finance, and Local Debt, with the expectation of getting feedback in the next one week. He said the Senate was also waiting for Jonathan’s reaction on the just concluded National Conference which was conveyed to discuss and suggest ways of correcting some abnormality in the nation.

READ ALSO: Boko Haram Attack Maiduguri Market, Kill Traders
Senator Mark, however, urged the President to make sure the 2015 Appropriation Bill gets to the legislative chamber before the end of the month in order for them to pass it into law before January 2015.
Boko Haram which started its onslaught since 2009, has reportedly killed thousands of innocent citizens comprising Christians and Muslims, especially in the North-Eastern part of the country.  On September 15, 2014, at least 850 soldiers attached to the 322 Artillery Battalion, and the Fourth Brigade Garrison, Ekeunwa, Benin City, the Edo State capital were reportedly ambushed by suspected Boko Haram terrorist group between Okene and Lokoja, Kogi State. On September 14, 2014, the terrorist group reportedly kidnapped hundreds of people including women and children across Northern Adamawa State.

EBOLA: My Survival Story - Dr. Ada Igonoh Recounts Ordeal

Our nation continues the battle to get rid of Ebola virus brought into the country by the late American-Liberian Patrick Sawyer.

Dr Ada Igonom

We now bring to you the amazing survival story of Dr. Ada Igonoh of the First Consultants Hospital.
She was one of the doctors who got infected by the virus by the primary case. The medical worker, however, miraculously escaped death and has told her amazing story to Bellanaija.
She shares her experience, her fears, faith and dedication.
***
On the night of Sunday, July 20, 2014, Patrick Sawyer was wheeled into the Emergency Room at First Consultants Medical Centre, Obalende, Lagos, with complaints of fever and body weakness.
The male doctor on call admitted him as a case of malaria and took a full history. Knowing that Mr Sawyer had recently arrived from Liberia, the doctor asked if he had been in contact with an Ebola patient in the last couple of weeks, and Mr Sawyer denied any such contact.

He also denied attending any funeral ceremony recently. Blood samples were taken for full blood count, malaria parasites, liver function test and other baseline investigations. He was admitted into a private room and started on antimalarial drugs and analgesics. That night, the full blood count result came back as normal and not indicative of infection.
However, on the following day his condition worsened. He barely ate any of his meals. His liver function test result showed his liver enzymes were markedly elevated. We then took samples for HIV and hepatitis screening.
At about 5.00pm he requested to see a doctor.
“I was the doctor on call that night so I went in to see him. He was lying in bed with his intravenous (I.V.) fluid bag removed from its metal stand and placed beside him. He complained that he had stooled about five times that evening and that he wanted to use the bathroom again. I picked up the I.V. bag from his bed and hung it back on the stand. I told him I would inform a nurse to come and disconnect the I.V. so he could conveniently go to the bathroom. I walked out of his room and went straight to the nurses’ station where I told the nurse on duty to disconnect his I.V. I then informed my Consultant, Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh about the patient’s condition and she asked that he be placed on some medications,” Ebola survivor narrated.
The following day, the results for HIV and hepatitis screening came out negative.
“As we were preparing for the early morning ward rounds, I was approached by an ECOWAS official who informed me that Patrick Sawyer had to catch an 11 o’clock flight to Calabar for a retreat that morning. He wanted to know if it would be possible. I told him it wasn’t, as he was acutely ill. Dr. Adadevoh also told him the patient could certainly not leave the hospital in his condition. She then instructed me to write very boldly on his chart that on no account should Patrick Sawyer be allowed out of the hospital premises without the permission of Dr. Ohiaeri, our Chief Medical Consultant. All nurses and doctors were duly informed.”
During early morning ward round with Dr. Adadevoh the medics concluded that this was not malaria and that the patient needed to be screened for Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
She immediately started calling laboratories to find out where the test could be carried out. She was eventually referred to Professor Omilabu of the LUTH Virology Reference Lab in Idi-Araba whom she called immediately.
Prof. Omilabu told her to send blood and urine samples to LUTH straight away. She tried to reach the Lagos State Commissioner for Health but was unable to contact him at the time. She also put calls across to officials of the Federal Ministry of Health and National Centre for Disease Control.
Dr. Adadevoh at this time was in a pensive mood. Patrick Sawyer was now a suspected case of Ebola, perhaps the first in the country. He was quarantined, and strict barrier nursing was applied with all the precautionary measures we could muster. Dr. Adadevoh went online, downloaded information on Ebola and printed copies which were distributed to the nurses, doctors and ward maids. Blood and urine samples were sent to LUTH that morning. Protective gear, gloves, shoe covers and facemasks were provided for the staff. A wooden barricade was placed at the entrance of the door to keep visitors and unauthorized personnel away from the patient.

Late Dr Ameyo Adadevoh. Photo: TheNation

Despite the medications prescribed earlier, the vomiting and diarrhea persisted. The fever escalated from 38c to 40c.
On the morning of Wednesday 23rd July, the tests carried out in LUTH showed a signal for Ebola. Samples were then sent to Dakar, Senegal, for a confirmatory test. Dr. Adadevoh went for several meetings with the Lagos State Ministry of Health. Thereafter, officials from Lagos State came to inspect the hospital and the protective measures we had put in place.
The following day, Thursday 24th July, Dr Ada Igonoh was again on call. At about 10.00pm the importer of Ebola, Mr Sawyer, requested to see her.
“I went into the newly created dressing room, donned my protective gear and went in to see him. He had not been cooperating with the nurses and had refused any additional treatment. He sounded confused and said he received a call from Liberia asking for a detailed medical report to be sent to them. He also said he had to travel back to Liberia on a 5.00am flight the following morning and that he didn’t want to miss his flight. I told him that I would inform Dr. Adadevoh.

 “As I was leaving the room, I met Dr. Adadevoh dressed in her protective gear along with a nurse and another doctor. They went into his room to have a discussion with him and as I heard later to reset his I.V. line which he had deliberately removed after my visit to his room,” Ebola survivor recalled.
At 6.30am, Friday, 25th July, Dr. Igonoh was alerted by a nurse that Patrick Sawyer was completely unresponsive. The doctor had to put the protective gear on and entered the dangerous room. She found the US-Liberian slumped in the bathroom. It was over for him: no respiratory movement, his pulse was absent. The doctors had lost him and the first death from Ebola on the Nigerian territory happened.
Dr. Ada Igonoh was the first who certified Patrick Sawyer’s death. She notified Dr. Adadevoh immediately and she had instructed that no one was be allowed to go into Ebola victim’s room for any reason at all.
Later that day, officials from the World Health Organisation (WHO) came and took Sawyer’s body away. The test in Dakar later came out positive for Zaire strain of the Ebola virus. The first EVD case in Nigeria was officially confirmed.
“It was a sobering day. We all began to go over all that happened in the last few days, wondering just how much physical contact we had individually made with Patrick Sawyer. Every patient on admission was discharged that day and decontamination began in the hospital. We were now managing a crisis situation,” the doctor continued.
The following day, Saturday 26th July, all staff of First Consultants attended a meeting with Prof. Nasidi of the National Centre for Disease Control, Prof Omilabu of LUTH Virology Reference Lab, and some WHO officials. They congratulated the health workers on the actions they had taken. The officials also enlightened the medics further about the EVD.
They said the health workers were going to be grouped into high risk and low risk categories based on their individual level of exposure to Patrick Sawyer, the “index” case. Each person received a temperature chart and a thermometer to record temperatures in the morning and night for the following 21 days.
“We were all officially under surveillance. We were asked to report to them at the first sign of a fever for further blood tests to be done. We were reassured that we would all be given adequate care. The anxiety in the air was palpable.
“The frenetic pace of life in Lagos, coupled with the demanding nature of my job as a doctor, means that I occasionally need a change of environment. As such, one week before Patrick Sawyer died, I had gone to my parents’ home for a retreat. I was still staying with them when I received my temperature chart and thermometer on Tuesday 29th of July. I could not contain my anxiety,” the doctor recalled.
Meanwhile, the issue of Ebola became trending everywhere: on TV, radio and in the media, both online and paper.
Dr. Igonoh soon started experiencing joint and muscle aches and a sore throat. She did not panic immediately, thought anxiety and stress made her feel like that. So, first of all, the doctor took malaria tablets and some antibiotics for the sore throat. Measurements of temperature showed normal results. But some anxiety remained:
“Every day I would attempt to recall the period Patrick Sawyer was on admission – just how much direct and indirect contact did I have with him? I reassured myself that my contact with him was quite minimal. I completed the anti-malarials but the aches and pains persisted. I had loss of appetite and felt very tired.”
Trouble started on August 1, Friday. The  temperature of the doctor increased to 38.7c.
“I could not believe what I saw on the thermometer. I ran to my mother’s room and told her. I did not go to work that day. I cautiously started using a separate set of utensils and cups from the ones my family members were using,” she recalled.
The fever worsened on Saturday. Thermometer was at 39c, none of the drugs, including paracetamol, helped. Dr. Igonoh could not eat due to 48-hour-long fever and worsened pains in her throat. She made a call a special helpline. They sent an ambulance to her place with some of WHO specialists. The doctors took her blood sample, but did not take her to the quarantine centre. She started stooling and vomiting later that day. Dr. Igonoh tried to distance herself from the family, washed her spoons and plates and by herself only. At the same time the parents of Ebola suspect believed her daughter was not infected.
On August 3, 2014, Sunday, the WHO doctors called Dr. Igonoh. They told me that the collected sample was not confirmatory, and that another one was required. The ambulance arrived at her place in the afternoon. The doctor felt worried and became even more confused when she got ‘invited’ to go to Yaba.
“I was confused. Couldn’t the second sample be taken in the ambulance like the previous one? He said a better-qualified person at the Yaba centre would take the sample. I asked if they would bring me back. He said “yes.” Even with the symptoms I did not believe I had Ebola. After all, my contact with Sawyer was minimal. I only touched his I.V. fluid bag just that once without gloves. The only time I actually touched him was when I checked his pulse and confirmed him dead, and I wore double gloves and felt adequately protected.”
She promised her parents to be back by evening. Ada wore her usual pair of jeans, a white top, put her iPad and phones in the bag as well.
Acting as a real gentleman, a medical specialist opened the ambulance door for her. What was really strange in his action is that he moved away from the lady rather swiftly.
“They were friendly with me the day before, but that day, not so. No pleasantries, no smiles. I looked up and saw my mother watching through her bedroom window,” the doctor continued.
Upon arrival to Yaba centre she was left alone in the back of the ambulance for over four hours.
“My mind was in a whirl. I didn’t know what to think. I was offered food to eat but I could barely eat the rice,” Ebola survivor recounted.

 Finally, the ambulance door was opened. A Caucasian gentleman approached her, but not too close, saying: “I have to inform you that your blood tested positive for Ebola. I am sorry.”
She had no reaction, just shock. The man asked the infected doctor to open the mouth and he had a look at her tongue. He then confirmed it was a “typical Ebola tongue”.
Dr. Igonoh took out her mirror and looked closer.
“I was shocked at what I saw. My whole tongue had a white coating, looked furry and had a long, deep ridge right in the middle. I then started to look at my whole body, searching for Ebola rashes and other signs as we had been recently instructed.”
Then she made a call to her mother, asking to lock her room, desist from touching anything and not to let anyone inside. The mother was stunned and reacted with silence. Ada cut the line.
The infected doctor was taken to the female ward. This is how she described that awful place:
“It looked like an abandoned building. I suspected it had not been in use for quite a while. As I walked in, I immediately recognized one of the ward maids from our hospital. She always had a smile for me but not this time. She was ill and she looked it. She had been stooling a lot too. I soon settled into my corner and looked around the room. It smelled of faeces and vomit. It also had a characteristic Ebola smell to which I became accustomed. Dinner was served – rice and stew. The pepper stung my mouth and tongue. I dropped the spoon. No dinner that night.”
The Caucasian man who had met Dr. Igonoh at the ambulance on her arrival was Dr. David. The specialist entered wearing his full protective ‘hazmat’ suit and goggles.
“It was fascinating seeing one live. I had only seen them online. He brought bottles of water and ORS, the oral fluid therapy which he dropped by my bedside,” Ebola patient recalled.
The medic said that 90% of the treatment depended on the patient. He ordered the lady to drink at least 4.5 litres of ORS daily to replace fluids lost in stooling and vomiting. Dr. David also told that taking Imodium tablets to stop the stooling was not advisable, because the virus would replicate the more inside the victim. The specialist concluded that it was better to let it out. The doctor said good night to his new female patient and left.
Dr. Igonoh was swarmed by calls from parents and relatives on Sunday evening. Her husband called crying, as he could not believe this news.
“As I lay on my bed in that isolation ward, strangely, I did not fear for my life. I was confident that I would leave that ward some day. There was an inner sense of calm. I did not for a second think I would be consumed by the disease. That evening, the symptoms fully kicked in. I was stooling almost every two hours. The toilets did not flush so I had to fetch water in a bucket from the bathroom each time I used the toilet. I then placed another bucket beneath my bed for the vomiting. On occasion I would run to the toilet with a bottle of ORS, so that as I was stooling, I was drinking,” Ebola survivor revealed.
On the following day, Monday, August 4, the first red rashes on her skin, particularly on her arms, appeared. The symptoms were added by sores all over woman’s mouth and her head was pounding so badly. She could not eat due to throat problems, but managed to drink the ORS. The infected doctor took paracetamol in an attempt to ease the pain.
“The ward maid across from me wasn’t doing so well. She had stopped speaking. I couldn’t even brush my teeth; the sores in my mouth were so bad. This was a battle for my life but I was determined I would not die,” Ada said.
The courageous Ebola patient started her day with reading and meditating on Psalm 91. She noted that the sanitary condition in the ward left much to be desired. The sheets were not changed for days. The floor was stained with greenish vomitus and excrement. The main specialist, Dr. David, would come in once or twice a day and help clean up the ward after chatting with the ailing people. He was the only doctor who attended to the patients. There was no one else at that time.
The patients had to collect the food themselves, as the matrons left meals outside the door. On the other hand, it was easy to explain: everyone was being careful.
Dr. Igonoh made another discovery on how the doctors themselves might have contracted the EVD. Mosquitoes were their roommates until mosquito nets were brought in.
Dr. David brought another female patient into the isolator. It was Justina Ejelonu, a nurse who had started working at First Consultants on the 21st of July, a day after Patrick Saywer was admitted. Dr. Igonoh recognised her immediately.

Obi Justina Ejelonu was taken to quarantine centre by her husband-to-be. Photo: Vanguard

Justina was on duty on the day Patrick reported that he was stooling. While she was attending to him that night, she had contact with the blood Nigeria’s first Ebola victim. The nurse was pregnant, but unfortunately suffered a suspected miscarriage while being admitted to the isolation centre. Initially, Justina was told she had been in Yaba for monitoring her condition only. The news that she was Ebola-positive came on the following day, when the results of the blood test were ready. Justina was devastated and wept profusely.
Ada got lots for support from her husband, who paid regular visits to her.
“He could only see me from a window at a distance. He visited so many times. It was he who brought me a change of clothes and toiletries and other things I needed because I had not even packed a bag. I was grateful I was not with him at home when I fell ill or he would most certainly have contracted the disease. My retreat at my parents’ home turned out to be the instrumentality God used to shield and save him.”
The infected doctor kept drinking the ORS fluid. She also got a call from her pastor. He had been informed about her predicament. The pastor called Ada every single day in the morning and in the night. They prayed together over the phone. The man of God later sent her a CD player, CDs of messages on faith and healing, and Holy Communion packs through Ada’s husband.
“My pastor, who also happens to be a medical doctor, encouraged me to monitor how many times I had stooled and vomited each day and how many bottles of ORS I had consumed. We would then discuss the disease and pray together. He asked me to do my research on Ebola since I had my iPad with me and told me that he was also doing his study. He wanted us to use all relevant information on Ebola to our advantage…
“My research, my faith, my positive view of life, the extended times of prayer, study and listening to encouraging messages boosted my belief that I would survive the Ebola scourge,” the survivor stated.
The doctor learnt that five strains of the virus exist and the deadliest of them is the Zaire strain. Infected patients who succumb to the disease usually die between 6 to 16 days after the onset of the disease from multiple organ failure and shock caused by dehydration. So she was counting the days and keeping herself well-hydrated. Ada wanted to live!
Knowledge is power. Her research resulted in more curious details and “gave her ammunition”.
As soon as the virus gets into the body, it begins to replicate really fast. It enters the blood cells, destroys them and uses those same blood cells to aggressively invade other organs where they further multiply. Ideally, the body’s immune system should immediately mount up a response by producing antibodies to fight the virus. If the person is strong enough, and that strength is sustained long enough for the immune system to kill off the viruses, the patient is likely to survive. If the virus replicates faster than the antibodies can handle however, further damage is done to the organs. Ebola can be likened to a multi-level, multi-organ attack.
She treated herself with more ORS, repeating: “I am a survivor, I am a survivor.”
Dr. Igonoh learnt that a patient with Ebola cannot be re-infected and they cannot relapse back into the disease as there is some immunity conferred on survivors.
She discussed her discoveries with her pastor, continued to meditate on the Word of God. “It was my daily bread,” the doctor confessed.
Shortly after Justina came into the ward, the ward maid, Mrs Ukoh, passed away. The disease had gotten into her central nervous system. Her lifeless body was of full display for about 12 hours before WHO officials came and took it away.
The ward had become the house of death. The whole area surrounding late Ukoh’s bed was disinfected with bleach. The mattress of the deceased was taken away and burned.
“To contain the frequent diarrhea, I had started wearing adult diapers, as running to the toilet was no longer convenient for me. The indignity was quite overwhelming, but I did not have a choice. My faith was being severely tested. The situation was desperate enough to break anyone psychologically,” the strong woman continued.
Dr. Ohiaeri also called the patients of the isolation centre day and night, enquiring about their health and the progress they were making. He sent provisions, extra drugs, vitamins, Lucozade, towels, tissue paper; everything the women needed to be more comfortable in that dark hole they found themselves. Some of male colleagues of Dr. Igonoh had also been admitted to this centre. However, the male ward was two rooms away, and they had no contact.
The spirits were lowered by the news that Jato, the ECOWAS protocol officer to Patrick Sawyer who had also tested positive, died days after he had been admitted.
“Two more females joined us in the ward; a nurse from our hospital and a patient from another hospital. There were times we would be awakened by the sudden, loud cry from one of the women. It was either from fear, pain mixed with the distress or just the sheer oppression of our isolation,” Ada recounted.
Five days after she was admitted, the vomiting stopped. A day after that the diarrhea ceased. The doctor was overwhelmed with joy. It happened at a time she thought her organism would no longer accept even the drop of the ORS. Drinking that fluid had stretched her endurance greatly.
Prayer meetings were being held on her behalf. Ada’s family members were praying day and night. She was encouraged by text messages of prayers from family and friends. The woman was able to pass her positive energy to others in the ward.
“I then graduated from drinking only the ORS fluid to eating only bananas, to drinking pap and then bland foods. Just when I thought I had the victory, I suddenly developed a severe fever. The initial fever had subsided four days after I was admitted, and then suddenly it showed up again. I thought it was the Ebola,” Dr. Igonoh said.
Dr. David stated fever was sometimes the last thing to go, but he expressed surprise that it had stopped only to come back on again. The survivor was perplexed.
“I discussed it with my pastor who said it could be a separate pathology and possibly a symptom of malaria. He promised he would research if indeed this was Ebola or something else. That night as I stared at the dirty ceiling, I felt a strong impression that the new fever I had developed was not as a result of Ebola but malaria. I was relieved. The following morning, Dr. Ohiaeri sent me antimalarial medication which I took for three days. Before the end of the treatment, the fever had disappeared,” Ada revealed.
The mother of Dr. Igonoh was under surveillance along with other family members. Hours later, on Twitter, the doctor came across a tweet by WHO saying that the sweat of an Ebola patient cannot transmit the virus at the early stage of the infection. The sweat could only transmit it at the late stage. It calmed her down, as she knew her mother had contact with her sweat, but only in the very beginning of the ordeal.
Soon, volunteer doctors started coming to help Dr. David take care of patients. They had learned how to protect themselves.
“Among the volunteer doctors was Dr. Badmus, my consultant in LUTH during my housemanship days. It was good to see a familiar face among the care-givers. I soon understood the important role these brave volunteers were playing,” Ada noted.
As the medical  personnel increased in number, so did the number of shifts and, subsequently, the number of times the patients could access a doctor in one day. This allowed for more frequent patient monitoring and treatment. It also reduced care-giver fatigue. It was clear that Lagos State was working hard to contain the crisis.
Justina’s death on the 12th of August was a great blow and faith of people at the centre.

“I commenced daily Bible study with the other two female patients and we would encourage one another to stay positive in our outlook though in the natural it was grim and very depressing. My communion sessions with the other women were very special moments for us all,” Ada recalled.
On her 10th day in the ward, the doctors having noted that she had stopped vomiting and stooling and was no longer running a fever, decided it was time to take her blood sample to test if the virus had cleared from her system. They took the sample and told her that it may still come out positive, as the virus takes a while before it is cleared completely. She prayed and really wanted that to be the first and last sample to be tested for the absence of the virus in her system. Ada discussed the situation with the pastor and they prayed again.
On the evening of the day Justina passed on, the patients were moved to the new isolation centre. People felt like they were leaving hell and going to heaven. They were conveyed to the new place in an ambulance. It was just behind the old building. The new building was cleaner and much better than the old one. Towels and nightwear were provided on each bed. The environment was serene.
The following night, Dr. Adadevoh was moved to the new isolation ward from her private room where she had previously been receiving treatment. She had also tested positive for Ebola and was now in a coma. She was receiving I.V. fluids and oxygen support and was being monitored closely by the WHO doctors.
“We all hoped and prayed that she would come out of it. It was so difficult seeing her in that state. I could not bear it. She was my consultant, my boss, my teacher and my mentor. She was the imperial lady of First Consultants, full of passion, energy and competence. I imagined she would wake up soon and see that she was surrounded by her First Consultants family but sadly it was not to be,” Ada said.
Two days later, on August 16, 2014, Saturday, the WHO doctors came with some papers. Ada was informed that the result of her blood test was negative for Ebola virus. She was free to go home after being in isolation for exactly 14 days.
“I was so full of thanks and praise to God. I called my mother to get fresh clothes and slippers and come pick me. My husband couldn’t stop shouting when I called him. He was completely overwhelmed with joy,” Ebola survivor said.
However, she was not allowed to take any of her belongings back home. CD player, her research assistant, aka iPad, phones with touching messages and other items should have been destroyed. She said to herself: “I have life! I can always replace these items.”
Ada went for a chlorine bath, which was necessary to disinfect her skin from her head to toes. She compared this feeling to being baptized into a new life as Dr. Carolina, a WHO doctor from Argentina, poured the bucket of chlorinated water all over the cured woman. Ada wore a new set of clothes, following the strict instructions that no part of the clothes must touch the floor and the walls. Dr. Carolina monitored the process, making sure that instructions have been observed.
“I was led out of the bathroom and straight to the lawn to be united with my family, but first I had to cut the red ribbon that served as a barrier. It was a symbolic expression of my freedom. Everyone cheered and clapped. It was a little but very important ceremony for me. I was free from Ebola! I hugged my family as one who had been liberated after many years of incarceration. I was like someone who had fought death face to face and come back to the land of the living,” Dr. Igonoh confessed.
All the people had to pass through several stations of disinfection before they reached the car. Bleach and chlorinated water were sprayed on everyone’s legs at each station.

Ada’s parents and two brothers were under monitoring for 21 days and they completed the surveillance successfully. None of them came down with a fever. The house had been disinfected by Lagos State Ministry of Health soon after Dr. Igonoh was admitted the isolation centre.
“I thank God for shielding them from the plague. My recovery after discharge has been gradual but progressive. I thank God for the support of family and friends. I remember my colleagues who we lost in this battle. Dr. Adadevoh my boss, Nurse Justina Ejelonu, and the ward maid, Mrs. Ukoh, were heroines who lost their lives in the cause to protect Nigeria. They will never be forgotten,” she stated.
Ebola survivor commended the dedication of doctors from the WHO, Dr. David from Virginia, USA, who tried several times to convince her to specialize in infectious diseases, Dr. Carolina from Argentina who spoke so calmly and encouragingly with the patients, Mr. Mauricio from Italy who always offered Ada apples and gave the patients novels to read.
Dr. Igonoh’s special thanks go to the volunteer Nigerian doctors, matrons and cleaners who risked their lives to take care of the patients. According to her, the Government of Lagos State, the state and federal ministries of health deserve kudos as well for their swift efforts to contain the spread of the EVD.
“To all those prayed for me, I cannot thank you enough. And to my First Consultants family, I say a heartfelt thank you for your dedication and for your support throughout this very difficult period.
“I still believe in miracles. None of us in the isolation ward was given any experimental drugs or so-called immune boosters. I was full of faith yet pragmatic enough to consume as much ORS as I could even when I wanted to give up and throw the bottles away. I researched on the disease extensively and read accounts of the survivors. I believed that even if the mortality rate was 99%, I would be part of the 1% who survive,” the doctor declared.
From her experience she said that early detection and reporting to hospital was the key to patients’ survival. One should never hide the fact of contacting an Ebola carrier and developing of the symptoms.
“Regardless of any grim stories one may have heard about the treatment of patients in the isolation centre, it is still better to be in the isolation ward with specialist care, than at home where you and others will be at risk,” the doctor who won the battle against the virus said.

“I read that Dr. Kent Brantly, the American doctor who contracted Ebola in Liberia and was flown out to the United States for treatment was being criticized for attributing his healing to God when he was given the experimental drug, Zmapp. I don’t claim to have all the answers to the nagging questions of life. Why do some die and some survive? Why do bad things happen to good people? Where is God in the midst of pain and suffering? Where does science end and God begin? These are issues we may never fully comprehend on this side of eternity. All I know is that I walked through the valley of the shadow of death and came out unscathed,” Dr. Ada Igonoh concluded.
The Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), also known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a severe condition caused by a virus from the Filoviridae family.
Known to be a condition that is transmitted from animals to humans, this virus spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person or animal. There is still no tested cure or globally-approved vaccine. The mortality rate of the virus in various separate outbreaks throughout the history reached up to 90%.

How We Spend Our Money - Armed Robbers

Two armed robbery suspects of a seven-man gang have been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command.

The Armed Robbery suspects

The suspects, Saheed Amoo and Taju Rasheed who claimed musicians showered them praises at parties were arrested by operatives of the command’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad after a tip-off.

Punch gathered that the suspects – Amoo and Rasheed, during one of their operations at a hotel and a restaurant near the Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, they were arrested by the police.

This led to a gun battle between the robbery gang who were armed with guns and the police.

However, the police arrested four members of the gang. One of the suspect, Amoo who was arrested during the shootout led the police to Rasheed’s residence, and identified him as a member of the gang.

28-year-old Amoo from Ilorin, Kwara State who spoke with Punch said he and the gang spends the proceeds of robbery on musicians who sing their praises saying:

“My nickname is Argentina. People call me Argentina because I support the country at football competitions. We started robbery in 2009. We robbed in places such as Obalende, Ajah, Osborne Road, and Ikoyi. We used guns in our operations, but I don’t know where they got the guns from.

“We usually snatched vehicles. We once snatched a Honda CRV and it was sold for N350,000. I was given N45,000. We also snatched Volkswagen Golf at another operation. We have gone on many operations this year.

“I spend my money on musicians because I go to clubs. Other members do too. So, musicians sing for us during parties.”

Meanwhile 27-year-old Rasheed who hails from Oyo Town in Oyo State confessed that he was the driver of the gang while adding that he for each operation he made N30,000.

 “They call me pilot because I drive the gang. I was actually a commercial driver before. I met the gang in Isolo, Lagos. My wife does not know I rob, she thinks I still work with the road transport union.

“On each of the operations, I made about N30,000. I used the money to keep my family moving. I also go clubbing. I was not arrested at the shootout in Ikeja, I was arrested in my house.”

The Police has said items like two daggers, two locally made pistols, and fully loaded magazines of AK-47 rifles were recovered from the armed robbers.

Sultan Of Sokoto's Warning Message To Politicians

Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, on Monday  warned politicians against using innocent children as political thugs.

 
Abubakar made this known while receiving the newly-elected members of the state working committee of the Peoples Democratic Party.
The sultan, who is also the President General, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III condemned the act saying it is dangerous to the good upbringing and moral orientation of young children who are future leaders of the country.
The sultan also stated that politicians who use children of others, give them money and drugs  aside spoiling the lives of these kids, they were also doing harms to themselves, the society and the country at large.
Abubakar said that the same children used by theses politicians to cause harm have every tendency and chance of turning against the elected officials, adding,” this will happen after the elections and often make governance too difficult for them.”
Sultan of sokoto, however appealed to Politicians to ensure the peace andd unity of the country is their top priority.