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Abuja residents cries out to NCDC over Lassa Fever, Ebola, outbreak

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Residents of a section of Gwarinpa, within the Abuja metropolis have cried out to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) over fear of the outbreak of Lassa Fever, Ebola and other deadly infectious diseases.

 

Residents of the area under the aegis of Team 7 Neighborhood Association referred to a persistent and escalating environmental hazard located behind 64 Crescent, Off 6th Avenue in the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) estate as basis of their fear.

 

In a formal petition addressed to the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the residents, led by their chairman, Sir Uche Okoli are seeking urgent intervention to halt a worsening situation with grave health implications.

 

The petition was copied to several relevant government bodies, including the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) Health Department and the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB).

 

According to the letter, which has also been copied to key stakeholders including the Permanent Secretary of the FCT Health Secretariat and the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, the source of the hazard appears to be behind the 64 Crescent area.

 

For several months, residents said they have endured a continuous foul odor emanating from the site. The smell, which blankets the air day and night, was said to have grown more pungent in recent weeks, causing discomfort and unease across the community.

 

Beyond the offensive smell, the area has reportedly become a breeding ground for various disease vectors.

 

Eyewitnesses and residents have noted a visible surge in rodents and insects, including the notorious multimammate rats (Mastomys natalensis), commonly associated with the spread of Lassa Fever.

 

Additionally, there has been a spike in populations of houseflies (Musca domestica), blowflies (Calliphoridae), and tsetse flies (Glossina), all known carriers of communicable diseases.

 

The letter to NCDC documents a growing number of respiratory illnesses affecting individuals, including vulnerable groups such as the elderly and children.

 

Some residents have reportedly been hospitalized, while unconfirmed reports suggest fatalities connected to respiratory complications may have occurred.

“We are seeing a troubling pattern of health complaints — coughing, breathing difficulties, and other symptoms consistent with poor air quality and possible exposure to biological hazards,” said Mr. Okoli in the petition.

 

“Some of these complaints are now coming from residents who don’t even live directly near the suspected contamination source.”

 

The residents argue that the presence of multiple risk factors — poor air quality, vector proliferation, and close proximity to a densely populated area — makes the case for immediate government intervention.

 

They drew parallels to recent and past outbreaks of Lassa Fever, Ebola, and even the COVID-19 pandemic, all of which originated or escalated in areas where early warning signs were ignored or underestimated.

 

In their letter, the Team 7 Neighborhood Association outlined a series of requests to the NCDC. Chief among them is the immediate dispatch of a public health assessment team to investigate the affected area.

 

The residents also called for environmental sampling — including air, soil, and water testing — to identify possible sources of the pollution and contamination.

Furthermore, they are requesting swift containment and remediation measures, as well as medical screening for residents who may have already been exposed to harmful pathogens or toxins. They also emphasized the importance of public health communication, urging the NCDC to issue guidelines that will help residents protect themselves while a solution is being worked out.

“This situation is deteriorating rapidly, and we fear that without prompt expert intervention, we may face a serious public health crisis with implications beyond our immediate community,” the letter states.’

Residents are hopeful that the combined efforts of these agencies, under the coordination of the NCDC, will bring about urgent remediation.
The Team 7 Neighborhood Association comprises a large section of Gwarinpa’s growing residential population. The area is home to civil servants, professionals, retirees, and young families — many of whom chose Gwarinpa for its reputation as one of Abuja’s more planned and peaceful suburbs.

“Our residents deserve to live in a safe and healthy environment,” said Mr. Okoli. “We are not just raising alarm; we are calling for responsible action and offering our full cooperation to government agencies. This is about protecting lives and preventing tragedy before it happens.”

As Abuja grapples with the challenges of urban growth and environmental sustainability, the case unfolding in Gwarinpa is a stark reminder that neglecting early warning signs of public health hazards can have far-reaching consequences.

 

-Guardian

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Entertainment

Davido breaks silence after Grammy Award loss

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Five-time Grammy nominee, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has reacted after losing the Best African Music Performance category at the 68th Grammy Awards held in Los Angeles, United States.

 

The Afrobeats star shared a message of faith and resilience following the outcome of the ceremony, which took place on Sunday night at the Crypto.com Arena in California.

In a post on his Instagram page, Davido shared photos with his wife, Chioma, from the event and wrote, “Oluwa Dey my side,” alongside prayer and music emojis.
Hours later, he posted another set of pictures of himself and Chioma at the Grammys, reflecting on the loss in a longer caption.

“I said baby listen we lost again let’s not go ! she said ‘Be humble in victory and gracious in defeat’ we outside,” he wrote.
Chioma also reacted via her Instagram page, praising the singer, “You already know that you’re the perfect one, @davido,” she wrote, while sharing photos from the awards night.
Davido was nominated in the Best African Music Performance category at the 2026 Grammy Awards but lost to South African singer Tyla, who won with her song Push 2 Start.

Other nominees in the category included Burna Boy (Love), Ayra Starr and Wizkid (Gimme Dat), Davido (With You featuring Omah Lay), and Eddy Kenzo and Mehran Matin (Hope & Love).

The win marked Tyla’s second Grammy Award, following her first victory in 2024 for her hit single Water.

Speaking during the awards ceremony, the singer revealed that With You, featuring Omah Lay, almost did not make the final tracklist of his album 5IVE.
“Man, it’s so crazy because that song almost didn’t make the album. With You was not in anybody’s top five.
“And now look at it go. Every time I was performing it, my heart would just start beating like, what if I didn’t put this song?” he told OkayAfrica.

Davido also recounted how he learned about the Grammy nomination, saying the news came unexpectedly while he was in Dubai, days before his birthday.

“I was in the car, actually, checking a car, and then my phone rang. They were like, ‘Oh yeah, another nomination.’ I was like, wow. Thank God,” he said.

“With You” was released in April 2025 as the 17th track on Davido’s fifth studio album, 5IVE, and has since become one of his most successful recent records, surpassing 100 million streams on Spotify.

Despite the song’s success, Nigeria did not record a win at the 2026 Grammy Awards.
Davido said he is now focused on touring and releasing new music.

He is also billed to perform at Coachella 2026, where he will be the only Nigerian artiste on the festival lineup, performing on April 11 and April 18, 2026, in Indio, California.

-Guardian

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Kunle Afolayan gives reasons to marry many women

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Nollywood filmmaker, Kunle Afolayan, has stirred reactions after advising men to “marry many women” while reflecting on his upbringing in a polygamous home.

 

The actor and producer made the remarks at the watch party of Aníkúlápó: The Ghoul Awakens, with a clip from the event going viral on Tuesday.

Speaking at the event, Afolayan linked his existence and achievements to his late father’s decision to marry several wives.

“Without my father, there wouldn’t have been a KAP Village or even Kunle Afolayan. I am the seventh born of my father because my father had ten wives. For the men, marry many women, or rather be involved with many women. You know why? If my father didn’t, he would not have born me, and that is the honest truth. But today, a few of us are lifting his legacy. Life is short, death is constant. Nobody has life forever. Everybody has a period. Use your period,” he said.

While his daughter, Eyiyemi Afolayan, joined him on stage, the filmmaker compared his childhood experience with his relationship with his children.

“They are lucky. For her, staying by my side is luck. Do you know why? I couldn’t stand it with my father. My father didn’t know my school. My father didn’t know my date of birth. He did not know anything about me other than, ‘He is the son of that person.’ But today, I’m so proud of my father,” he added.

Afolayan also spoke about fatherhood.

“Sometimes when people say ‘Happy Father’s Day,’ I’m always saying whether he pays child support or not, he’s still a father. I have been going to court because I want to get a divorce. I don’t mind being in the witness box, and I experienced the shit, so that I can marry many wives,” he said.

He thereafter prayed for his daughter, praising her role in the series.

“Hephzibah, her mother is the one who gave her the name. I don’t care, but I am proud of you. You started with the film, you did the first season, and now with the second season, you did amazingly well. My good Lord will continue to increase you in wisdom, in knowledge, and in understanding. If this is your path, the good Lord will see you through.”
However, this is not the first time the filmmaker has spoken about his late father’s polygamous lifestyle.

In March 2021, Afolayan told BBC Pidgin that his father, Adeyemi Afolayan, who died in 1996, married 10 wives and had 25 children, a decision he said took a toll on the family.

“I would not want to marry many wives because my father had 10 wives and I knew what happened throughout that period. I knew that really distracted my father. In this age, nobody needs to tell you before you know what’s right,” he said at the time.

He also disclosed that growing up in a polygamous home affected bonding among the children due to language and other barriers.

Afolayan further narrated how he battled poverty in his early years, revealing that he once lived in a one-room apartment in Ebute-Metta and sometimes had to deal with flooding.

“I was born in Ebute-Metta and have lived in one-room apartment before that we even have to grapple with flood sometimes. It’s not shame to say have been poor before. But if you see how l made it, it’s a matter of consistency. My father was a very popular filmmaker and ordinarily, people would expect me to life the kind of live akin to Hollywood stars,” he said.

“But that wasn’t the case. How would one live such life when you’re living in a room with ten women. That doesn’t mean there was no love among us.”

He had advised young filmmakers to start with the little resources available to them while working towards their dreams.

 

-Guardian

 

 

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Court adjourns Ganduje’s corruption trial to April 15

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A Kano State High Court has adjourned until April 15 the trial of former governor Abdullahi Ganduje, his wife, Hafsat Umar, and son, Abdullahi Umar, alongside five other defendants, over alleged misappropriation of public funds amounting to billions of naira.

 

The defendants are facing an 11-count charge bordering on bribery, conspiracy, misappropriation, and diversion of public funds. The remaining accused persons are Abubakar Bawuro, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Ltd, Safari Textiles Ltd, and Lasage General Enterprises Ltd.

At the resumed hearing, the prosecution told the court it was ready to proceed and drew attention to a motion dated November 24, 2025, seeking leave to file additional proof of evidence.

However, defence lawyers raised objections, informing the court that multiple applications were pending and must be resolved before the trial could continue.

Lydia Oluwakemi-Oyewo, counsel to some of the defendants, said the defence had filed a motion dated July 17, 2025, seeking a stay of proceedings.
Adekunle Taiye-Falola, representing the third and seventh defendants, also referred to a separate motion dated May 23, 2025.
In addition, Muhammad Shehu, counsel to the fifth defendant, told the court that an affidavit had been filed notifying it of a pending application for stay of proceedings before the Court of Appeal.
Abubakar Ahmad, counsel to the sixth defendant, informed the court that he had filed a notice of preliminary objection and an application for extension of time to respond on points of law dated February 2, urging the court to fix a date for hearing.

Only Faruk Asekome, counsel to the eighth defendant, indicated readiness to proceed with the trial.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the presiding judge, Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu, adjourned the matter to April 15 for the hearing of all pending applications and preliminary objections.

The trial has suffered repeated delays due to legal challenges. The high court had earlier dismissed preliminary objections raised by the defence as “incompetent” and affirmed its jurisdiction to hear the case.
That ruling was appealed by the defendants, who argued that the trial court lacked jurisdiction. However, in October 2025, the Kano Division of the Court of Appeal struck out the appeal, citing failure to properly transmit the record of appeal.

-Guardian

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