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The Abia State Government has rolled Rural Emergency Services and Maternal Transport System across the state to safeguard the lives of mothers and newborn babies.

The State’s Commissioner for Health, Professor Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche disclosed this in Umuahia during the kick off of the program.

He said the action was in line with the directive of Governor Alex Otti on public health.

According to the Commissioner, emergency medical services play a critical role in determining the overall quality of life of any population, noting that the new system is specifically targeted at reducing maternal and neonatal mortality in the state.

He explained that one of the leading causes of maternal deaths is the inability of pregnant women, especially those in labour, and new babies who require urgent care, to access health facilities with skilled personnel on time.

He identified three Local Government Areas of Obingwa, Bende, and Ukwa East as high-burden areas for maternal mortality, describing them as part of the 172 high-risk LGAs in Nigeria.

“As a strategic response, we have deployed ambulances to central locations within these LGAs to ensure that any woman in need of emergency transport can access services within 25 to 30 minutes or less,” he stated.

He added that trained emergency transport officers have been included in the national emergency response platform to ensure prompt processing of distress calls and swift deployment of ambulances to convey patients to equipped healthcare facilities.

Emergency medical services critical to ending maternal, infant mortality – Gov Otti

Burna Boy’s mother, Bose Ogulu, has reacted to her son’s cussing and profane language using her name during a lifestream.

The singer used the curse words while denying beating DJ Tunez with his crew members.

DAILY POST reports that Wizkid had in a post on X, accused Burna Boy and his 10 man team of beating the DJ in Lagos’ night club over failure to play his music.

Denying the allegation on Wednesday during a Livestream with singer Shallipopi, Burna Boy said “Na only me touch DJ Tunez, no be 10 people. Na two slaps I give am. I swear with my mama. If I dey lie, make Ogun carry my mama go anywhere wey Wizkid mama dey.”

Following Burna Boy’s claim, a clear video of the incident capturing him and his team kicking DJ Tunez on the floor went viral on social media as against his claim.

Reacting to the development, the singer’s mother, Bose Ogulu, turned to a prayer warrior.

A viral video online captured her being surrounded by her son’s crew members as they prayed against every evil declaration and spirit.

“Oloun ma je a remi kemi. Oloun ma je a remi kemi”, she prayed in Yoruba.

Watch the video

Burna Boy’s mother turns prayer warrior after sons cuss words [VIDEO]

The Police Command in Imo has launched a manhunt for the killers of Eze Paulinus Ekwueme, the traditional ruler of Ochia Autonomous Community, Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of the state.

The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Henry Okoye, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen on Saturday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that Ekwueme was attacked and killed by the armed hoodlums on Friday at the Assa community on Asa Awara Road, Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area.

Okoye stated that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Audu Bosso, had deployed the command’s tactical units, in synergy with other security agencies, to hunt down the hoodlums responsible for the dastardly attack. ‎

“‎The deployment followed a distress report received from Ohaji Police Division on April 10, at about 1630 hrs, indicating that armed assailants attacked Ekwueme along Asa Awara Road.

“Regrettably, the attack led to the death of the monarch, Ekwueme, the Ochia I of Ochia Kingdom, alongside five other yet-to-be-identified victims,” he stated.

‎Okoye stated that the dispatched tactical teams recovered the burnt corpses of the deceased.

According to him, the remains have been evacuated and deposited at the Federal University Teaching Hospital (FUTH), Owerri, for preservation and autopsy.

“‎Consequently, the command has commenced a comprehensive investigation into the incident, while intensive operations are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects and recover any weapons in their possession.

Okoye said that adequate security measures had also been placed to forestall any future occurrence of such a tragic incident in the area and its environs,” he stated.

‎The spokesman further disclosed that Bosso and his management team later embarked on an on-the-spot assessment and confidence-building visit to the Ochia community to reassure residents of enhanced sustained security.

“”The Commissioner sympathised with the family of the late traditional ruler and other deceased victims and assured residents that the command remains fully committed to sustaining peace and security in the state.

“In no distant time, the perpetrators will be arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law,” he added.

‎Okoye urged members of the public to volunteer credible information that would aid the command’s ongoing investigation. (NAN)

The post Police launch manhunt for killers of Imo traditional ruler appeared first on Vanguard News.

Lamine Yamal set up two goals and scored another as Barcelona took a significant step towards defending their La Liga title with a 4-1 derby win over Espanyol on Saturday.

Ferran Torres netted twice with Yamal and Marcus Rashford finding the net late on as the Catalans moved nine points clear of second-placed rivals Real Madrid.

Los Blancos drew 1-1 against Girona on Friday and with seven games remaining, one of which is a Clasico at Camp Nou in May, Hansi Flick’s side have a commanding lead.

Barca face Atletico Madrid on Tuesday in the Champions League quarter-finals, aiming to fight back from a 2-0 first-leg defeat, but the coach still picked a strong side against Espanyol.

Midfielder Pedri Gonzalez and 18-year-old winger Yamal played the full match as Flick tried not to let the second leg disrupt the team’s league campaign.

Torres’s goals were his first since January and he was happy to help Barca move closer to the title.

“Until we win it, it’s not over but it’s true, it’s in our hands — we have to keep getting the three points,” Torres told DAZN.

After a strong start to the season Espanyol were beaten at home by Barca in the first game of 2026 and have failed to win a match since.

They offered little resistance as Hansi Flick’s side cruised into a two-goal lead.

Yamal created both goals for Torres, whipping in a corner which the Spain international nodded home.

Although some wondered if Flick would rest Yamal for Tuesday’s visit to face Atletico, the teenager is always keen to play and Barca fans adore watching him.

Yamal’s assist for the second was sumptuous, playing Torres through with the outside of his boot and the striker’s shot trickled past Marko Dmitrovic and into the net.

“I always believe in hard work and that you will get your reward,” added Torres on ending his goal drought.

“You always hear noise around you, more for the bad things than for the good… I am always focussed on myself, on improving.”

Espanyol came close when Tyrhys Dolan’s chipped effort clipped the top of the crossbar but they were mainly pinned back in their own territory.

Yamal curled a free-kick narrowly over the crossbar and Dmitrovic made a good double save to keep Fermin Lopez and Eric Garcia at bay.

– ‘Small errors killed us’ –

Barcelona thought they had extended their lead early in the second half when Torres stabbed home Garcia’s goal-bound header but it was ruled out for a tight offside against the defender.

Espanyol pulled one back through Pol Lozano immediately afterwards with a rasping effort after Barca struggled to clear the ball.

“Small errors killed us a bit, we have to be proud of the work we did,” said Lozano after the game.

“We’re getting better and sooner rather than later the victory will come.”

Substitute Rashford could have got a third for Barca but the England international seemed to lack confidence as he delayed his shot before firing straight at Dmitrovic.

The winger missed several chances against Atletico in the first leg of the Champions League tie, but by the end he found the net and will look to make further amends at the Metropolitano.

Yamal notched the third in the 87th minute by charging down a loose ball, which rebounded beyond Dmitrovic, leaving him with a tap-in.

Two minutes later Rashford hooked home the fourth with a volley from Frenkie de Jong’s cross, with the Dutch midfielder on as a substitute for his first appearance since suffering a hamstring injury in February.

Barca fans stayed in the stadium after the final whistle to celebrate with their team and try to inspire them ahead of the visit to face Atletico.

Diego Simeone’s side take on Sevilla later on Saturday. Earlier Real Sociedad and Alaves shared an entertaining 3-3 draw, while Elche edged Valencia 1-0 to move out of the relegation zone.

The post Yamal shines as Barca thrash Espanyol to extend La Liga lead appeared first on Vanguard News.

A late-night armed robbery at student hostels near the Ekiti State University community in Ado Ekiti has led to the arrest of two suspects, while security operatives continue a manhunt for other members of the gang who fled the scene.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday in the Iworoko area of Ado Ekiti, where armed men reportedly stormed off-campus hostels and robbed students of their personal belongings, raising fresh concerns over security around student residential areas.

Confirming the development, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Ekiti State Command, Sunday Abutu, said the command received a distress call at about 2:30 am, prompting an immediate response from operatives of the Iworoko Police Division.

According to him, students reported that armed suspects had broken into their hostels and forcibly dispossessed them of valuables, including mobile phones.

He said police operatives swiftly mobilised to the area and tracked the suspects to their hideout shortly after the attack, leading to the arrest of two individuals, while others escaped.

The suspects were identified as Abdulraman Abdulmumini, 26, and Abdulsalam Oseni, 31.
Items recovered from them include an unregistered Bajaj motorcycle allegedly used in the operation, two stolen mobile phones, two MP digital radios, as well as clothing and shoes suspected to have been stolen from victims.

Abutu further disclosed that the suspects have confessed to the crime during interrogation and have also provided information on other members of the gang who are currently on the run.

He added that the police have intensified efforts to apprehend the fleeing suspects and recover additional stolen items linked to the robbery.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State, Michael Falade, has urged residents to cooperate with security agencies by providing timely and credible information.

Police arrest two after robbery at Ekiti varsity student hostels

By Peter Duru, Makurdi

Suspected armed herdsmen have reportedly attacked Ikobi community in the Apa Local Government Area, LGA, of Benue State, killing one, Anyebe Shaibu, also known as Ochodo, and leaving some others injured.

It was gathered that the marauders stormed the community Friday afternoon and met the deceased on his farm, where they killed him and mutilated his remains.

According to a source in the area, who preferred anonymity, the victims were in their farms and preparing their farmland for cropping when the invaders attacked them.

He said, ‘Several persons were on the farm at the time of the attack, but most of them were lucky to have escaped unhurt, but they killed Ochodo and injured some others.’

“The manner they killed the young is so painful. They murdered him and mutilated his body with their knives as if he were an animal.

“His sin was that he went to farm in his ancestral home. They just don’t want our people to farm on their land, and we cannot understand why they want to chase us out of our land, and the government is doing nothing about it.

“The situation is getting so bad that our people are now afraid of going to their farms, and what that means is that we may be facing starvation because if we do not farm, how can we feed our families?”

“We urged the federal and state governments to live up to their constitutional responsibilities by providing security for the lives and properties of the people, which is the essence of government in the first place. If they cannot do that, we advise they quit. Our government cannot remain insensitive to the plight of the people and still remain in office,” he added.

Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, were unsuccessful.

The post Again, suspected armed herders attack Benue community, kill one, injure others appeared first on Vanguard News.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Lagos State, Joe Igbokwe, has described Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, a terrorist .

Igbokwe claimed that Kanu ordered the IPOB militia arm, the Eastern Security Network, ESN, to kill people in the Southeast.

Posting on Facebook on Saturday, Igbokwe wrote: “The terrorist, Nnamdi Kanu, gave IPOB/ESN orders to kill people. For that reason he is my eternal enemy.

“I am 100+% against him. He ordered his business enterprise IPOB/ESN to kill anyone in uniform; police, army, etc.

“Following his brutish, barbaric and animalistic orders, IPOB/ESN killed some of my relatives and friends.

“Assuming without conceding that such evil and dastardly order was proper and moral, his own sister who was also in uniform was not killed by his IPOB/ESN.

“So you want me to support him after killing some of my relatives and friends?

“If your answer is “yes”, then, you are a killer, barbarian and possibly one of those sub-humans he raised to cannibalize their victims.

“I am certainly one of those Igbos that will fight with everything it takes to make the world animal spend all his remaining days in a confined location.”

Nnamdi Kanu a terrorist, ordered ESN to kill my relatives – Joe Igbokwe

A nine-year-old boy has been rescued after spending more than a year locked inside his father’s van in a small French village, in a case that has shocked residents and prompted criminal charges against both the child’s father and his partner.

A neighbor alerted police to sounds of a child coming from a vehicle parked in the village of Hagenbach, near the borders of Switzerland and Germany, on Monday.

When officers forced the van open, they found the boy lying in a foetal position, naked, covered by a blanket on top of a mound of trash and near excrement, according to prosecutor Nicolas Heitz.

The child was clearly malnourished and could no longer walk because he had been sitting down for so long.

When officers spoke to him, he said he had not showered since 2024.

The boy’s father told investigators he placed the child in the van in November 2024 to protect him, claiming his partner had wanted to send the boy to a psychiatric hospital.

However, prosecutor Heitz said there were no medical records of the boy suffering any psychiatric problems before he disappeared, casting serious doubt on the father’s account.

Friends and family had been led to believe the boy was in a psychiatric facility, while his teachers were told he had transferred to a different school.

The deception kept the child hidden from those who might have raised the alarm for well over a year.

The father has been taken into custody on charges including preliminary kidnapping.

His partner, who denied knowing the boy was in the van, has been charged with offences including failure to help a minor in danger and released under judicial supervision.

The boy’s 12-year-old sister and the 10-year-old daughter of his father’s partner have both been placed in the care of social services.

The discovery sent shockwaves through the quiet village of Hagenbach.

The case has raised serious questions about child welfare oversight and how a young boy could remain hidden from schools, family, and authorities for such an extended period.

French Authorities Rescue Boy Locked In Father’s Van Since 2024 is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Saturday conducted its state congress in Anambra State, electing a new executive committee through a consensus process.

The congress, held at the Kyrie Events Centre in Awka, produced a new State Executive Committee, with Mr Chris Nwosu emerging as the substantive chairman of the chapter.

Nwosu, a journalist, was announced alongside other members of the executive, who were immediately sworn in immediately after the event.

In his acceptance speech, the new chairman described his emergence as a call to service and pledged loyalty to the party’s ideals.

He also reaffirmed respect for former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, whom he described as a leading figure in the South-East.

He said the new executive would focus on strengthening party unity, expanding its grassroots presence and positioning the ADC as a credible alternative in the state.

“Our task is to reconnect with the people, deepen our grassroots presence and build a cohesive structure anchored on trust, inclusion and shared purpose,” Nwosu said.

The chairman added that the party would intensify mobilisation efforts across all local governments and wards as part of preparations for the 2027 general elections.

The congress was supervised by a national committee from Abuja led by Ambassador Fidel Ayogu, who urged the newly elected officers to ensure inclusiveness in the running of the party.

He noted that the consensus arrangement adopted for the congress was in line with the party’s constitution and the provisions of the Electoral Act.

Another party chieftain, Chief Ndubuisi Nwobu, called on the new leadership to promote fairness and equity within the state chapter.

About 54 officials, drawn from the state, zonal, local government and ward levels, were elected during the congresses.

ADC Anambra Chapter Elects New Leaders is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has expressed support for the Nigerian Bar Association’s stance, affirming that courts lack jurisdiction over internal party disputes.

The party, in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi on Saturday in Abuja, described NBA’s warning against judicial abuse as a validation of its position on the court’s legality.

Abdullahi stated that NBA’s intervention highlighted the ongoing attempts to undermine the David Mark-led leadership through judicial processes, insisting that they were inconsistent with existing electoral laws.

He maintained that the current dispute was not legitimate litigation but a deliberate strategy aimed at exploiting judicial mechanisms for political advantage and manipulation purposes.

The party’s spokesperson described such actions as abuse of court process, involving forum shopping and what it termed ‘mala fide litigation’ intended to destabilise the party’s lawful leadership structure.

He emphasised that any judicial order obtained contrary to statutory provisions remained invalid and cannot form a legitimate basis for actions affecting party leadership.

Abdullahi expressed concern that certain actors had continued to involve courts in prohibited matters, creating confusion and attempting to project uncertainty around the party’s leadership structure.

He commended NBA for reaffirming the rule of law and warning legal practitioners against actions that could undermine judicial integrity and democratic principles.

While referencing NBA’s call for disciplinary measures against any erring legal practitioner, he said that such a call underscored the seriousness of the ongoing violations.

Abdullahi called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remain neutral and impartial and avoid actions that could legitimise processes inconsistent with the Electoral Act.

He stated that the dispute extended beyond the party’s internal affairs, framing it as a broader issue concerning the protection of democratic integrity in Nigeria.

Abdullahi, however, reaffirmed ADC’s commitment to pursuing lawful measures to defend its mandate and safeguard democratic principles. (NAN)(

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