Nigerian researchers announce COVID-19 vaccine

A team of Nigerian scientists has announced the discovery of a preventive vaccine against the novel coronavirus, local media reported Saturday.

"It is our passion to be a solution provider to such a global pandemic, and we are ready to throw our weights behind the team and make the vaccine a reality," news website Leadership quoted the leader of the COVID-19 Research Group, Dr. Oladipo Kolawole.

"The vaccine is real. We have validated it several times. It is targeted at Africans, but will also work for other races. It will work. It cannot be faked. This is a result of the determination. It took a lot of scientific efforts," Kolawole told reporters at Adeleke University in Nigeria's Eda state Friday.

"The population of those that need vaccines is more than those that need drugs. That is why the research focused on a vaccine," he noted.

The study that the vaccine was based on was initially funded by the Trinity Immunodeficient Laboratory and Helix Biogen Consult, Ogbomosho, with roughly 7.8 million Nigerian nairas ($20,000), according to the report.

Kolawole went on to say that his team had worked extensively on the virus's genome from samples across Africa to select the best potential vaccine candidates.

The researchers of the team had made the possible latent vaccine constructs, Kolawole revealed, without naming naming the vaccine.

He added that it would take a minimum of 18 months to release the vaccine for widespread use, due to a large amount of research, analysis and approvals required by medical authorities.

The highest death toll on the continent has been reported in Egypt with 2,017 fatalities, followed by South Africa with 1,831 deaths, Algeria with 825, Sudan with 506 and Nigeria with 475.

The countries with the highest number of cases were South Africa with 87,715, Egypt with 52,211, Nigeria with 18,480 and Algeria with 11,504.

After originating in Wuhan, China last December, COVID-19 has spread to at least 188 countries and regions.

The pandemic has killed more than 460,000 worldwide, with more than 8.6 million confirmed cases, while recoveries have surpassed 4.2 million, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University in the US.

Source: TVC

The Spread of COVID 19 has Reached a state of Emergency- Ondo State Governor

ONDO State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on Monday declared that the spread of COVID-19 has reached a state of emergency.

Akeredolu’s statement came after 80 new cases and nine deaths were recorded within one-week.

'No govt, no nothing, just anarchy' - Trump stings Somalia at rally

US president Donald Trump renewed his attacks on Somali-American congresswoman Ilhan Omar over the weekend during a campaign stop in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

But the latest attack targeted at his Democratic contender Joe Biden went as far as tearing into Ilhan’s native Somalia. According to Trump the Horn of African country was an anarchic, lawless state and Ilhan wanted America to degenerate to those levels.

“Ilhan Omar is going to be very much involved in a Biden government. They will put this hate-filled America bashing, socialists, front and center in deciding the fate of your family and deciding the fate of your country, I don’t think so.

About Somalia he said: “She (Ilhan) would like to make the government of our country just like the country from where she came, Somalia. No government, no safety, no police, no nothing, just anarchy. And now, she is telling us how to run our country, no thank you.

“And I think we are going to have a big victory in Minnesota,” he added. Ilhan represents Minnesota’s 5th District in Congress.Trump tears into Ilhan Omar:

“She would like to make the government of our country just like the country from where she came. Somalia. No government, no safety, no police, no nothing. Just anarchy. And now she is telling us how to run our country. No thank you.”

source;africannews.com

Wike attacks police for allegedly harassing Ondo deputy governor

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has lambasted the police for the alleged harassment of the Ondo Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi.

Wike in a statement signed by his Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim said it was wrong for the Commissioner of Police, Ondo state to dabble into politics by denying Ajayi access to his residence based on his defection to another political party.

He described the act as unfortunate and condemnable in a democratically elected government.He said: “The Nigeria Governors’ Forum should rise to the occasion and  demand that  those behind actions that  bother on the infringement of constitutional rights be brought  to book.

“I will continue to say the truth,  it does not matter which political party is erring. Look at the police reducing themselves to a level where politicians will now send them to infringe on the right of a deputy governor without regards to the fact that he has immunity.

“They removed a Commissioner of Police in Rivers state because of the Calverton Helicopter saga which had to do with persons whose COVID-19 statuswere not known during the lockdown in the State.  So, what should happen to commissioner of police who stopped a democratically elected deputy governor from entering his house simply because of the rumour that he wanted to defect to another political party

The Nation

African American Man Kills a Nigerian Student and a Retired State Worker

Aaron Glee Jr. confessed several times that he kidnapped and killed Oluwatoyin Salau, a student and protester, and Victoria Sims, a volunteer and retired state worker, in grisly crimes that have horrified the community.

According to newly released court documents, Glee waived his right to remain silent and gave his account of events to officers with the Tallahassee Police Department and the Orlando Police Department.

They include shocking new details, including that Glee kept Salau a prisoner in his run-down home for several days, raping her and eventually deciding to kill her to avoid getting caught. 

The documents also reveal that Salau, 19, and Sims, 75, apparently met each other in the last days of their lives, after Glee arranged for Sims to pick him and Salau up at a bus stop.

Salau vanished June 6, followed by Sims on June 11. On June 13,  Tallahassee Police Department officers descended on his home after tracing Sims' cellphone to the address. They found Sims’ body under a bloody sheet in a bedroom and Salau’s body under a pile of leaves in the woods behind the house.

By that time, Glee had already bought a one-way ticket to West Palm Beach, where he has family members. Orlando police, working off information from Tallahassee police, intercepted him at a Greyhound bus station and arrested him.

He complained of breathing problems and was taken to an Orlando hospital, where he openly chatted about the two murders, according to the arrest report.

USA Today

Ondo Governor, Akeredolu, Orders Police Commissioner To Block Deputy Governor, Ajayi, From Moving Personal Belongings Out Of Government House

The deputy governor and some personal aides had gone to the Government House to move out personal items ahead of the planned defection of Ajayi to the Peoples Democratic Party in preparation of the October 10, 2020 governorship election in the state.mild drama ensued on Saturday night after Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, instructed security agents to block his deputy, Agboola Ajayi, from packing out of Government House in Akure, the state capital.

The deputy governor and some personal aides had gone to the Government House to move out personal items ahead of the planned defection of Ajayi to the Peoples Democratic Party in preparation of the October 10, 2020 governorship election in the state.

SaharaReporters gathered that the newly deployed Commissioner of Police, Mr Bolaji Salami, acting on the governor's instructions repeatedly barred the pilot vehicle of Mr Ajayi from moving his personal belongings out of the compound.For over several hours, the deputy governor and aides were seen in a video footage arguing with the security personnel blocking their exit from the Government House. 

A media aide to the deputy governor, Mr Allen Sowore, confirmed Saturday's incident to our correspondent. 

He said, "We could not leave the Government House for several hours yesterday as they refused the deputy governor to pack his personal belongings.

"At a time, the deputy governor had to ask the position of the Commissioner of Police in this matter because the way he acted was just too low of him as a public officer."

There had been a cold war between Ajayi and Akeredolu, which became visible shortly after 2019 general election when the APC lost the presidential election in the state. 

The relationship broke down completely after the deputy governor began boycotting all activities of government including that of the party in the state. 

Ajayi has concluded plans to leave the APC to PDP where he could possibly emerge their candidate for the governorship election slated for October.

source: Sahara reporters

Oyakhilome hits church leaders over COVID-19 guidelines

Founder of Christ Embassy, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, has lashed out as church leaders again for complying with the COVID-19 ban on religious gatherings.

He described the guidelines as “wicked”, stating they were initiated to muzzle the body of Christ.

Some of the guidelines, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), include wearing of face masks, suspension of Holy Communion, social distancing and body temperature check, among others.

He also berated church leaders for compliance with government directives on religious gatherings.

In his latest televised service, he stated it was odd church leaders were afraid of the virus.

He argued that one can’t believe in Jesus and be afraid of touching coronavirus patients and other virus.

He insisted what church leaders were inadvertently planning is “persecution of Christians”.

source: The Nation