33 die of meningitis in Niger
The Niger State Ministry of Health has disclosed that 33 deaths have occurred from the 123 cases of cerebrospinal meningitis so far recorded in the state. Mortalities from the outbreak rose from the initial 16 to 33 death within two months, the Director of Public Health, Malam Mohammed Usman, told newsmen in Minna yesterday.
Speaking on behalf of the Commissioner of Health, Dr Mustapha Jibril, the director said the state had witnessed significant spread of
Police in Benue State yesterday said at least 10 people had been arrested in connection with a fresh clash between farmers and herdsmen in Gwer Local Government Area of the state.
The Commissioner of Police, Bashir Makama, said those arrested included the suspected leader of the unrest which caused the death of one Sunday Kachuwa in the hands of suspected herdsmen who attacked Tse-Igba Uke village earlier this week. the disease across 12 local government areas from the initial four.
It would be recalled that 31 cases of the disease were as earlier reported in four local government areas including Magama, Kontagora, Rijau and Agwara, as at March 6.
The local government areas currently affected include Agwara, Rijau, Suleja, Bosso, Tafa, MarigaLapai, Gurara, Mashegu, Paikoro and Kotangora with Magama recording the highest of 70 and 31 deaths.
He said the mortality rate was more among females and children, adding that the high casualty was as a result of reluctance to seek
Makama said the violent protest Thursday at Ikpayongo village along the Makurdi - Otukpo highway led to the death of five other people, bringing the casualty figure to six.
He appealed to members of the public to desist from taking laws into their hands, warning that the command would not tolerate jungle justice. The police commissioner said normalcy had been restored, and urged residents and motorists plying the route to go about their normal businesses without fear.
Pmedical attention as soon as the symptoms developed, while blaming it on witchcraft.
He said the situation was being complicated with cases from states which have borders with Niger, especially Zamfara.
The director noted that the state had stepped up the sensitization drive with the deployment of trained disease and surveillance officers across the 25 local government areas.
According to him, more than N39m has so been spent on drugs and logistics by the state government even as it has set up emergency operation centres to coordinate response and curtail further spread. resident Muhammadu Buhari has nominated Prof. James Momoh for the position of chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
His Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, disclosed this in a statement yesterday.
Shehu quoted the president as strongly expressing the belief that Momoh has the technical knowledge, capacity and integrity to lead the commission’s effort to bring about the much needed change in Nigeria’s power sector.
Momoh is a Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Director of Energy Services and Controls at Howard University, USA. He is a Life Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, with over three decades of teaching and research experience in power systems, smart grid, optimisation and power communications, Shehu said.