Natasha: Activists storm Lagos House, want protest letter taken to the presidency.

Women's Rights Groups and other Advocates across Lagos State have converged on ShopRite and staged a protest match to Ikeja House, Alausa, to present a letter stating the discrimination meted out to a member of Senate, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Natasha Akpoti and demanding justice.

Speaking at the Rally, the Programme Director of Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, WARDC, Mary George-Peluola, commended the initiative by the Women to stand with Natasha as she battles alleged discrimination and sexual harassment at the National Assembly.

She stressed that " the reason for the celebration is to make women's voices heard and not subdued or silenced, in every decision-making and politics, noting that women's rights are also human rights ".

The Coordinator, Lagos State Chapter of the Network of Reproductive Health Journalists, Nigeria, Ms Kikelomo Oduyebo, assured that the Network would stand with every action to move women forward, reiterating the need to amplify women's voices through the Media, respect as well as protect their rights. 

Advocate for Sensitive Issues and the Face of International Women's Day 2025, Bukola Ogundowo, said she joined the Rally to help accelerate action on women's rights and empower them to speak out over injustice being meted to women in Nigeria.

The activists called on well-meaning Nigerians to support women in their quest to climb to decision-making positions where they can add value to national issues.

" Women are not to be degraded, mocked, denied positions or harassed sexually. "We are good at administration, politically and our workplaces. We are no pushovers so don't treat us as one ". They emphasized 

The rally, which terminated at the State Assembly gate where women promised to wait until the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, attended to them, took place simultaneously in most states in Nigeria.

Guests at the symposium advocate more awareness of women's health..as Lagos NAWOJ celebrates IWD.

As activities marking International Women's Day continue in Lagos, women have been charged to add their voices to Nation-building homes and stand firm on issues as they affect women and girls. 

The Director of News, Lagos Television, Mrs Abimbola Bello, gave the charge in Lagos on Thursday while commemorating International Women's Day.

With the theme, "Accelerate Action", while the topic of the NAWOJ symposium was "Young Women in Journalism: Mentorship, Growth and Breaking the Glass Ceiling". Mrs Bello said the programme was apt as all hands are on deck to ensure that women are supported to aspire to leadership positions and contribute their quota to nation-building. 

Sharing her newsroom experience, she explained that, in a newsroom setting, women are regarded as men not to spite them but to ensure they stand tall with their male counterparts. 

" Women should accelerate action on so many things and in different ways too," noting that " how you see yourselves and what your goals are should be prioritized, it is also important to plan how to intend to achieve them ". Bello stated

Mrs Rashidat Sanni-Afolabi, the Health Education Officer, Local Action Committee on AIDS (LACA), Ikeja LGA, having talked on the Prevention of Mother's - To - Child Transmission of HIV, PMTCT, said that, women journalists should help enlighten members of the public on the dangers of transmitting the virus to their babies as the awareness is low.

She noted, "It is important to register early for Ante-natal where the necessary test will be carried out, and if positive, you will be placed on Antiretroviral Drugs to prevent the transmission". 

Nothing that HIV is not a death sentence, " there are drugs to suppress the viral load to a minimal level, but there is the need to adhere strictly to drug prescriptions, taking it as and when due, and there are support systems that you can relate with ". She stated

Sanni-Afolabi said that if more women are enlightened about their HIV/AIDS status during pregnancy, it would help greatly in mother-to-child transmission during delivery.

She said, "Naturally, people don't like to take drugs, but with the right sensitization, enlightenment and education, more women would like to know their status during pregnancy and take to instructions because of their unborn child ". 

On her part, Ms Oluseyi Kadiri, a J K A Aggey Foundation, said her foundation supports women, girls and less privileged persons in society, hence the reason it partnered with NAWOJ to provide medical services for participants at the symposium.

"We are checking for Blood Pressure (BP) and sugar level, we are particular with people's health.

" We felt women in journalism should know their BP status and sugar level; we don't want a situation like, I don't know my BP, am overworked,", she said.

Kadiri said that the foundation was on the ground to prevent slumping during working hours due to high BP and to avoid relying on BP drugs, which are now on the high side.

She advised women to celebrate themselves and always check their BP twice a month.

Earlier, the Chairperson of Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Lagos Chapter, Dr Adeola Ekine, said that growth in journalism was driven by continuous learning.

Ekine stated, " Young women should embrace opportunities for self-improvement by engaging in training Programmes, digital media literacy, investigative journalism and ethical reporting ".

 "As the media landscape evolves, we must remain at the forefront of these changes, ensuring that our voices and narratives are relevant, credible and impactful," she said

According to her, breaking the glass ceiling requires audacity, resilience and collective efforts.

Adeola called on women to rise to leadership positions within and outside their workspaces and take up decision-making roles wherever they found themselves.

The high point of the event was the health check of Blood Pressure and the exhibition of bags, perfumes, and Adire material amongst other things

Come and sign your undertaking NAFDAC calls on violators

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has opened up access for those who have violations to come sign their undertakings, saying, "We are waiting for them now to come ". 

"We are giving them undertaking because they violated our rules, Good distribution practices, good storage practices, they violated, and they will be sanctioned for that, but we promise not to close them down unless it is a very, very serious violation ".

The DG NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye made the call at a news briefing in Lagos while explaining with dismay how banned coding, tramadol and a killer Tafrodol, imported by an Indian company were discovered and seized and giving an update on the just concluded raids carried out by the agency on Fake and Substandard drugs in the major drug markets in the country. 

According to her, "We screened about 10,000 shops in all, 327 in Lagos. 1,289 in Aba and about 6,000 in Onitsha ".

She noted that to check the menace,  the Ministry of Health mandated NAFDAC and PCN to ensure that there is a coordinated process centre in Aba, Onitsha, Lagos, and Kano. " The one for Kano has been built, and on February 16th last year, we started forcing them to move because they didn't want to move". Adeyeye

 

However, "they are in the process of building the one in Lagos. It will take a while. And part of what we did after this enforcement is to give them an undertaking that we cannot close you down unless you have very serious violations. She stated

 

For Lagos, " it has been a long process. In terms of the special purpose vehicles that work with the government to get to where they are now ".

Because Lagos has the Special Purpose Vehicle already being built, the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria, PCN, is working directly with that Special Purpose Vehicle to sign their undertaking.

It has to be sustained. NAFDAC goes after good storage and distribution practices. PCN goes after the site license and practitioner license.

Unlike what we have seen now, "we didn't have time to do enforcement before moving the shops because it was directly a result of a court case that we started moving. " But we have a strong post-marketing surveillance office all over the country, adding that " it was during post-marketing surveillance, that was how we were able to find out that four medicines meant for children have zero content in them.

 

Professor Mojisola stated that there had been complaints about the length of time given to them, but she emphasized " Yes, we're going to renew every six months So that they know that we're watching them like a hawk".

 

"Because of us. Because of the medicine we take. We don't want to ruin any trade.

 In fact, that's the last thing on our minds. We want to facilitate trade". She revered.

 

But not at the detriment of the health of our people. For the other, the same thing, there's going to be a Special Purpose Vehicle that will be working with the state government to build. But we cannot close all of them down. "

 

So that is just the reality of that. The new central, have we arrested others? In fact, I think it was yesterday or two days ago, the second person had been arrested. When you are doing an investigation, you have to use intelligence.- she concluded 

 

For the central drug market, she informed everyone that" they cannot take anything that is not approved, "they will not be allowed to take any medicine there that was not approved, adding that there is nothing wrong with trade, trade fosters, GDP and whatnot.

 

" We are all for that. But it has to be good medicine that is what is supposed to be done for trading",  she insisted

NAFDAC warns against contracting business with fake consulting firms ... reinforces architecture to check fraud

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, says it has strengthened the activities of the Investigation, Enforcement, and Federal Task Force by reconstituting the architecture and increasing the number of Investigating Police Officers of the Police Squad and Mobile Police attached to the Agency.

To this end, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare will inaugurate the reconstituted Federal Task Force and the State Task Forces to complement the Agency's activities in the States.

The Director General of NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola, who made this known at a news briefing in Lagos, warned members of the public not to do business with any company that parades itself as a consulting firm for product registration. 

Explaining in detail an incident, the D-G said, Mr Ikoro Mang Ifendu of 26, Park Road, Aba Abia State, born on the 2nd of January, 1973, was arrested on the 7th of February 2025 at Ogborn Hills, Aba, Abia State in a case of alleged fraud and obtaining huge funds by false pretence from unsuspecting foreigners that cuts across various countries as a NAFDAC Staff, a native of Amamba Village, Abiriba in Ohafia LGA, Abia State, " stating that, his level of education is SSCE and deals in clothing materials. "The suspect is in our custody and is cooperating with the investigation ".

According to her, the case was reported by Thani Almaeeni Trading Group, Abu Dhabi, UA, E following their application to register Dry Fish (Seafood). " Thani Almaeeni Trading Group, Abu Dhabi, UAE, and other companies from various countries fell victim to the fraud. 

In a petition from Thani Almaeeni Trading Group reported to NAFDA, C the possible impersonation of the fraudsters as NAFDAC’s official using the NAFDAC’s letterhead and name, she continued, the fraudsters headed by Mr. Ikoro Mang Ifendu duped the company of thousands of dollars and millions of naira.

" These fraudsters or syndicates operate in a three-pronged scheme involving the Buyer, Bank, and Lawyer. Initially, the buyer contacts foreign companies to purchase and import goods into Nigeria. Subsequently, they introduce these companies to any of these banks for payment. The bank then declares that due to the lack of NAFDAC approval, foreign companies are unable to export to Nigeria.

Explaining further, " a legal counsel is introduced to the companies, claiming that they can obtain NAFDAC Certificate through this lawyer. The lawyer then receives payments in stages and issues fraudulent receipts and counterfeit NAFDAC certificates to the companies.

Our investigation revealed that the Group operates Fifteen (15) Domiciliary and Five (5) Local Accounts in seven (7) Nigerian Banks, stressing that, "The Account in one of the Banks has a BVN that is being used by the two key members of the Group, Ikoro Mang Ifendu and Rosemary Obosi. The exact number of the Accounts has not been established, because the suspect had deleted some of the Accounts and the alert messages ". Mojisola

Professor Adeyeye The tentative cumulative inflow from different victims into the Domiciliary Accounts in Nigeria is estimated to be over  950,000 USDD, while the sum of  450,000 USDD is the estimated inflow into the accounts held offshore in Cotonou, Benin Republic. 

Unfortunately, " the unsuspecting foreigners are still sending monies into the Account., " Just before this press conference, an Alert of $ 7,000 was received in one of the Domiciliary Accounts ". She said

The D-G gave more details on the fraudulent documents: " The documents issued to the client (Thani Almaeeni Trading Group) that exposed the scam are as follows:

i. Certificate of Registration of Dried Fish (Seafood) with NAFDAC Registration No A2-7059 issued to Thani Almaeeni Trading Group, Unit 7, Building 2, Sector M-36, Musaffah Sector - M36, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates issued on 16th December 2024 and to expire on 15th December 2029. This number has never been issued by NAFDAC.

ii. Revenue Receipt referenced “Original Receipt” issued to different victims or companies

a. No: F4186, N6, 687, 000.00 issued to Thani Almaeeni Trading Group, Abu Dhabi, UA, E and dated 28/11/2024

b. No. F9263, N20, 900, 000. 00 issued to Thani Almaeeni Trading Group, Abu Dhabi, UA, dated 13/12/202,4, and

c. No. F4186, N6, 819, 200. 00 issued to LILY BEE LTD, 21 LYNEDOCH STREET, INDUSTRIAL ESTATE GREENOCK SCOTLAND PAIG, 4AX, UNITED KINGDOM dated 28/112024.

iii. RE: PROCESSING REQUIREMENTS, of USD 13, 785, 00 and purportedly signed by a former Director who had retired a year earlier (XXXXXXXX as DIRECTOR-GENERAL NAFDAC). dated December 3rd, 2024

iv. Document of Swift Advice Copy of $1,990.00 with Rosemary Obosi as Beneficiary Customer dated 27th November 202, (details are in the document)

v. Document of Swift Advice Copy of, 000.00 with Mang Ifendu Ikoro as the Beneficiary Customer dated 12th December 2024 (details are in the document)

vi. CITYCODE Savings & Loans 5, Tinubu Street CTO Building Lagos Island, Lagos State Nigeria with Telegraphic Transfer of USD132, 972. 84, dated 24th December 2024. The document gave details of the process of transferring the stated amount.

vii. Other documents used to defraud unsuspecting foreigners by the fraudsters are the letterheads of the fraudster,s namely.

a. MANG IFENDU IKORO (HALI & CO CHAMBERS, Legal Practitioners and Solicitors), and

b. ROSEMARY OBOSI (HALI & CO CHAMBERS, Legal Practitioners and Solicitors

Details of some of the foreign companies that were defrauded of thousands of foreign currencies aside from Thani Almaeeni Trading Gro, as extracted from the suspect’s one, are listed below:

i. Vicky Sales Assistant, Japan Long Tie (China) Co Limited, 245 Jingliu Road, Jinan, China for the importation of Condoms.

ii. BEYOND- Korea 711, Julie Rivers DR. USA

iii. Aquaforest SP, Brzesko, Poland for registration and importation of Drinks and Vegetable Oil

iv. Vincenzo Frecentese CEO, Nomea srl for registration of products with NAFDAC

v. Tianyan Filter Cloth Co. Ltd, Gonghexin Road, Jingan District, Shanghai, China

vi. Siam Canadian China Ltd, Frozen Onion Spices, Zhanjiang Guangdong, China

After exhausting the link to falsification of NAFDAC regulated products, this case will be transferred to EFCC for further investigation. This is to expand the investigation to other areas that are not within the mandate of NAFDAC. 

The investigation will also invoke POCA on all the assets illegally acquired in the course of the fraudulent activities.

Do not compromise safety: avoid running fowl of the law - FRSC warns.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has advised all road users to remain vigilant and report any emergency situation to the FRSC or other relevant authorities through the Corps' toll-free emergency line, 122.

Corps Marshal, FRSC, Abuja, Mr Shehu Muhammed, gave the advice in a message after the accident that occurred on Tuesday, 11 March 2025, at the Otedola Bridge on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, which he said posed a threat to lives and property. 

According to the statement, "it was a team work as the FRSC and other emergency responders, combated a burning gas truck to ensure it did not spread further. 

" Explaining further, the multiple crash was alleged to have occurred as a result of a break failure which involved 15 vehicles ". Muhammed

Mohammed, who expressed his displeasure over the preventable crash, called on all fleet managers to make safety precautions a priority in fleet management. 

He warned against neglecting necessary safety measures, stating that appropriate sanctions would be meted out to the drivers and Vehicle Owners who compromise safety to the detriment of other Road Users by the National Road Traffic Regulations.

 "Owners and drivers of dangerous goods carrying vehicles must adhere strictly to all safety protocols to avoid road crashes". Muhammed

Be vigilant, report symptoms promptly....Lag Govt tells King's college authority.

Members have been urged to take advantage of the Lagos State free immunization programs to prevent further outbreaks and adhere to public health advisories.

The advice came in response to an outbreak of diphtheria at King’s College Annexe, where a 12-year-old boy who presented with a sore throat and fever was diagnosed to have diphtheria. 

In response to the outbreak, the Lagos State Government began an emergency vaccination exercise to curb the spread of the highly contagious disease and safeguard public health. After tracking the contacts, it found that 14 out of the 34 pupils identified had mild symptoms. 

Further examinations revealed that, of the 14, 12 pupils had early symptoms and had to undergo treatment.

To this end, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, alongside the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. (Mrs.) Kemi Ogunyemi and other top officials

Visited the school to assess the situation and oversee the vaccination campaign.

The officials inspected key facilities in the school to identify potential risk factors and reinforce preventive measures to halt the spread of the disease.

Addressing the students, Prof. Abayomi emphasized the importance of personal and environmental hygiene, urging them to adopt proper hand-washing habits and report any symptoms of diphtheria promptly. 

He reassured parents that the government is on top of the situation and discouraged them from withdrawing their children from school, as this could further complicate containment efforts.

" The vaccination campaign is targeting all students with parental consent, as well as school staff, to create a protective ring against the disease " advising members of the public to be vigilant, watch for symptoms such as sore throat, difficulty breathing, and fever, and report any suspected cases to the nearest primary healthcare center ". 

Speaking on potential side effects of the vaccine, Prof. Abayomi told students and parents that "while mild to moderate reactions can occur, they are rare and manageable".

" Anyone experiencing adverse effects should report to the school healthcare facility, where medical personnel are on standby to provide necessary care ". he assured 

The Principal of the school, Mr. Zachariah Magaji, alongside the PTA Chairman and representatives from the school alumni, participated in the facility tour and vaccination exercise. Their presence underscored a collective commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of the students. Abayomi said

The vaccination exercise continues with medical teams on hand to immunize as many students and staff as possible. 

According to him, health officials have also ramped up awareness efforts within the school community to ensure students, parents, and teachers understand the symptoms, risks, and preventive measures for diphtheria.

The State Government pledged continued collaboration with the federal and state health agencies to monitor the situation and deploy additional resources where necessary. He revered. 

The Commissioner reaffirmed the government's commitment to strengthening disease surveillance and response mechanisms across all schools and communities in Lagos State.

Mass Vaccination against diphtheria begins in King's College VI...everything is under control, - commissioner

The Lagos State Government has activated its Emergency Response Committee following the diphtheria outbreak in the boarding house of King’s College, Victoria Island Annexe. 

Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, has advised the public not to panic, adding that an Emergency Operations Committee (EOC) has been activated to contain the outbreak and prevent undue fatalities.

According to Abayomi, the index case, a 12-year-old boy, presented with sore throat and fever to the health facilities of the school on February 22, and was promptly referred and admitted to the pediatric emergency ward of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) where he was promptly aacceptedand administered appropriate antibiotics and a full dose of diphtheria ant toxoid serum. 

The Commissioner said, "Despite the timely intervention, the boy succumbed to progressive and irreversible inflammation of the heart (myocarditis) on the 6th of March. Myocarditis is a severe and recognized complication of the bacterial infection caused by the toxin. The Commissioner noted that at the time of his death, an Emergency Operation Committee had already been activated, and 34 close contacts of the deceased student were already being closely observed for symptoms. 

"Of these, 14 have developed symptoms consistent with diphtheria. In response, the affected students were transported to the Children’s Emergency Unit at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), where they were screened by health professionals."

 Of the 14 that were examined,12 were determined to have developed early signs of Diphtheria and were admitted to receive antibiotics and the Diphtheria antitoxoid Serum. No further cases have developed so far, and all 14 symptomatic students are recovering. 

Abayomi noted that a preliminary inspection of King’s College Annexe by health officials uncovered areas where infection prevention and control (IPC) measures need to be improved, and that process will commence immediately. 

The state government, in collaboration with Federal health agencies, is set to launch a targeted vaccination campaign for all consenting students of the school (both the annexe on Victoria Island and the Main School in Igbosere), inclusive of all healthcare providers, to strengthen immunity against the deadly infection. This may likely expand statewide. 

To ensure widespread public awareness, information leaflets detailing diphtheria symptoms, prevention, and early treatment options are being disseminated across all healthcare facilities in Lagos. The state government is also preparing a public health announcement to sensitize Lagosians about the outbreak, warning them to watch out for symptoms such as sore throat, fever, difficulty in breathing, and swollen neck glands.

Health authorities, including the World Health Organization (WHO), Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), have been notified of the outbreak and are collaborating with the Lagos State to coordinate an effective response. 

 Lagos has close to 500,000 doses of diphtheria vaccines in stock, which will be strategically deployed as part of the emergency response to high-risk locations. 

The State Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) will convene daily to assess the evolving situation and guide policy decisions. Subsequent meetings will involve the Ministry of Basic and Tertiary Education as well as other stakeholders to enhance inter-sectoral coordination in tackling the outbreak.  

Abayomi advised Lagos residents to prioritize good hygiene, avoid crowded environments, and seek medical attention immediately if experiencing diphtheria-like symptoms. "Early detection and treatment can save lives. Let’s all work together to curb this outbreak and protect our communities," he said. 

The Honourable Commissioner of Health would like to assure Lagosians that “the outbreak is under control and there is no need to panic because measures will continue in earnest to protect our citizens from infectious disease outbreaks”. 

Diphtheria is an infection of the throat caused by a bacteria that results in inflammation of the throat, fever, swollen neck glands, and difficulty in breathing. In addition, a toxin produced by the bacteria can cause the failure of multiple organs, such as the heart, lungs, and nerves. Diphtheria is preventable by adhering to the full vaccination schedule, good hygiene, avoidance of crowded and under-ventilated spaces, and prompt treatment of infection with antibiotics and antitoxoid serum to neutralize the effect of the toxin on organs.