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The Confederation of African Football has ordered that players from Sierra Leone and Guinea involved in the Nations qualifiers, which begins in September must undergo a compulsory Ebola tests before they depart their countries for matches. This directive, which was passed to the two countries football federations in a letter from the CAF secretariat and signed by its Secretary General, Hicham El Amrani noted all members of the Guinean and Sierra Leone delegations travelling to other countries during the qualifying competition should be examined before departing, “to ensure that no member can transmit Ebola,” CAF said. Countries hosting Guinea and Sierra Leone will be able to carry out “additional checks,” CAF said. The continental ruling body also stated that African Cup qualifiers scheduled to be played in Ebola-affected Guinea and Sierra Leone will be moved to other countries. CAF said in a statement that the Sept. 5 Guinea vs. Togo match and the Sept. 10 Sierr...

The ebola disease yesterday took its tool on Nigerian sports, as the National Sports Commission (NSC) announced the pulling out of the country’s contingent from the Youth Olympics billed to kick off this weekend in Nanjing, China. Director General of NSC, Gbenga Elegbeleye who announced the nation’s pull out noted that Nigerian athletes, who were already in China perfecting strategies for the game’s kick off were being treated like lepers by the organizers of the championship. According to the NSC boss, Nigerian athletes were not only quarantined by the organisers, but barred from training ahead of the competition. “Nigerian athletes were quarantined, isolated and barred from training alongside athletes from other countries since they arrived the competition venue over news of Ebola virus in Nigeria. Following this discrimination, we have resolved to pull out from the games,” Elegbeleye stated. Nigeria was billed to feature in three sports- wrestling, beach volleybal...

…As hawkers now  shun Lagos customers over deadly virus Commercial sex workers, who ply their trade in Ado Ekiti are currently angry. They are angry because the dreaded Ebola disease, which has spread to Lagos, is spoiling business for them. The dreaded Ebola virus came into the country through a Liberian, Patrick Sawyer, who has since died in a Lagos hospital. Two more persons, a Nigerian nurse, who treated the Liberian, and an official of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), have also died after being infected by Sawyer. Checks by Daily Sun in about six brothels in Ado Ekiti revealed that commercial sex workers in the capital city now literally drive away would be customers from Lagos and any prospective client that reveals he is from Lagos. In the same way, patrons of call girls in Ekiti now ask about the recent movement of any of the prostitutes before choosing who to do business with. This is to find out and avoid those who might ha...

The widow of late Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian who brought Ebola into Nigeria, has defended her husband’s decision to travel to Nigeria, saying he did so in desperate search for a country with better healthcare system than his own country. In an article published earlier yesterday, TMZ Liberia Magazine quoted Decontee Sawyer, who is a radio host in New York, as explaining that Mr. Sawyer had no trust in the healthcare system in Liberia and had possibly headed to Nigeria with the hope of receiving better treatment for his ailment. According to an online publication, Premium Times, Mrs. Sawyer shared her thoughts on her Facebook profile from which TMZ Liberia sourced it for publication. “I’ve read other reports in other papers (not the New York Times) about Patrick’s “recklessness.” I get where they’re coming from, and they certainly have the right to feel the way they do. However, as...

The Federal Government has named four laboratories for testing of the Ebola virus disease. These are in Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Centre for Disease Control in Asokoro, Abuja; University College Hospital, Ibadan and the Redeemer University Laboratory along Kilometre 35, Lagos Ibadan Expressway. The government is also targeting Jos and Kano as well as setting up a mobile test centre in Enugu by the end of the week. The government intends to set up nine laboratories across the country before the end of next month. Addressing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, the governors of Lagos and Enugu states,  WHO Country Representative, Dr. Rui Voiz, the Ministers of Information and Health, Director General of National Centre for Disease Control, Professor Abdulsalam Nasidi, disclosed that most Nigerians in the diaspora were in touch w...

Two people who drank and bathed with salt solution to prevent being infected with the dreaded Ebola virus disease (EVD) have died at a hospital in Makurdi,  Benue State capital. The Director of Public Health in the state Ministry of Health and Human Services, Dr. Joseph Kumba, who confirmed the incident, said: “We got the report at a meeting today (yesterday) that two persons died at Ushakaa Clinic as a result of drinking and bathing with hot salted water.” When contacted, the Medical Director of Ushakaa Hospital in Makurdi, Dr. Innocent Gbillah, said the male victim lived at the North Bank area, while the other deceased patient, a woman, resided in BENADA area of the state capital. Gbillah, who said the victims were admitted in the hospital on Saturday, however, declined to disclose their names but advised members of the public to always cr...

Women in Kano are abandoning their traditional religious dress after a spate of suicide bombings by young girls with explosives under their hijab. The commercial city was hit last month by four separate attacks involving teenage girls in the Muslim dress, leaving at least nine people dead and scores more injured. Although no one has claimed responsibility for the bombings, fingers have been pointed at Boko Haram, the Islamist militants blamed for a string of attacks on the city. But the bombings have cast fear and suspicion on young women wearing the loose clothing, prompting many to dress differently.  “I no longer wear my hijab because people now see any young woman in hijab as a potential suicide bomber because of the recent incidents”, said 17-year old Hajara Musa.  “I now put on my shawl [headscarf] when I go out pending the time the city gets over the trauma of this frightening trend”, the fashion design apprentice told AFP.  Musa said she wa...

Acting Inspector-General of Police Suleiman Abba has ordered the establishment of Tactical Operation Points (TOP) in select states in the Northeast and Northwest. According to a statement by the Force spokesman, Frank Mba, the points would be manned by police personnel trained in tactical operations and counter-terrorism. The statement said the operation points would be established in various strategic locations and highways in Kano, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Bauchi, Gombe and Taraba states. “Consequently, the IGP has charged all Assistant Inspectors -General of Police (AIGs) in charge of the zones covering the affected states and all Commissioners of Police in charge of these states to ensure close supervision and constant re-skilling of the personnel performing this special operation. “The IGP is optimistic that the latest measure will enable the Force to halt further spread of violence in the land and frustrate the activities of insurgents and...

The World Health Orgamisation (WHO) yesterday reported 56 new deaths from Ebola. It added that there are 128 newly reported cases in the two days to August 11, raising the overall death toll in the virus’ world outbreak to 1,069. Since March, there have been a total of 1,975 confirmed, probable and suspected Ebola cases in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, the United Nations health agency said in a statement. In Spain, Several hundred mourners joined a funeral service yesterday for Spanish priest Miguel Pajares, 75, who died from Ebola after being infected in Liberia. He became the first European victim of this worst-ever outbreak of the virus. A black hearse transported an urn containing missionary Miguel Pajares’s ashes to the chapel of the San Rafael hospital in Madrid, which was decorated with floral arrangements, including one sent by Spain’s royal family. The priest’s remains were incinerated in a sealed coffin shortly after he die...

Turkish Health Ministry officials said yesterday that 32-year-old Nigerian woman Stella Omorowa and her son, who were put under medical supervision on Tuesday at Istanbul Ataturk International Airport for showing symptoms of the Ebola virus, are suffering from malaria. The woman and her four-year-old son were on a Turkish Airlines flight from Lagos to Istanbul when the mother told the cabin crew she was feeling unwell. According to the Health Ministry, the woman who was complaining of high fever and vomiting after arriving at Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport had been diagnosed with malaria. Ministry officials said that the woman needed urgent treatment for severe form of malaria. The woman is still being medically examined, and whether she has the virus has not yet been determined, the officials said. In Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration has advised all hospitals to consider all cases of high fever as the Ebola virus until prove...

 The Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, has advocated for the stoppage of the traditional shaking of hands as part of measures to stop the spread of the Ebola virus in the country. He called for the measures after the meeting of state governors and health commissioners from various state of the Federation Federal Government officials & World Health Organization Representative in Nigeria with President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja on Wednesday. “We have to drop our traditional behaviours like shaking of hands and nobody should be offended,” he stated while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the meeting. He also urged people to stop defecating and urinating in public, particularly at this time of the country’s health crisis. He said, “This is not the time to make fast naira. Next week will be defining for us, to know what cases have multiplied. This is not something you keep in religious house to pray. Infected persons are not patients you can move by taxis...

Chelsea football club are preparing to sell goalkeeper Petr Cech to interested suitors. Jose Mourinho, after the 2-0 pre-season win over Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge, revealed that he plans to notify Cech on his future at the club on Sunday. Petr Cech has been the number one choice between the sticks for the past decade now, but his position was always probable to be threatened since the London club brought back on loan Courtois from Atletico Madrid. In Spain, Courtois has thrived proficiently, and recently won the La Liga with his former club. Speaking to the press after the game, Mourinho said: ‘I played [Courtois] 90 minutes because he was injured and he didn’t play last weekend. ‘Petr played the two matches in Turkey, the first half against Ferencvaros. ‘[Mark] Schwarzer played the second half against Ferencvaros. ‘Courtois, since he arrived, played only 45 minutes against Werder Bremen and he needs to play. ‘I want to give minutes to everybody ...

The deputy Governor of Enugu state,  Sunday  Onyebuchi this morning August 13th slumped before the impeachment panel set up to investigate allegations of gross misconduct and unlawful rearing of chickens in his official residence leveled against him by the State House of Assembly. According to Vanguard, the Deputy governor arrived the panel sitting at about  9am  in company of his wife Mrs Nneka Onyebuchi, his children as well as his legal team. He began his testimony in front of the panel around  9.30am  but three hours later, around 11.35am, he slumped and was immediately rushed out of the premises to the hospital where he is receiving treatment.   Abeg this impeachment process should be withdrawn before this man die and leave his wife and childrenoooo.

    To check possible outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease in Enugu State, the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, on Wednesday disclosed that 20 persons have been quarantined in the state. Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, said 198 persons are currently under watch by the Ministry of Health to contain further spread of the disease. A nurse had earlier fled the Lagos quarantine centre and travelled to Enugu where she had contact with 20 other people. Of the 198 persons under surveillance, he said that 177 of them are in Lagos, while 21 are in Enugu. He said: “All those who had primary contact have been quarantined. Secondary contacts have also been traced. So far the number of people that have been traced is 198. Out of this number, 177 are in Lagos and are being traced. Some are in quarantine, some are being monitored by health specialists.” ...

A guest, Joshua urges the Lagos State government to immediately start ensuring protection of the health workers who interact with Ebola patients and therefore face the danger of contracting the killer virus. “A friend of mine works in one of the healthcare centers under the Lagos State government. Knowing that those who interact with Ebola patients are exposed to the killer Ebola virus, I decided to ask her what they are doing to protect themselves against Ebola at their workplace,” Mr. Joshua says in his alarming missive, that  Hazard Allowance for Healthcare Workers To Face Ebola was #5,000 . “Her response made me hold my breath for more than a second. In a manner that suggested the virus is not a big deal, she said they are doing nothing ! “In a partial daze, I wondered if they have developed some kind of Ebola vaccine in her center, and she and her colleagues have all been vaccinated. I thought about all the credit Nigeria would get for having ...

    President Jonathan has appointed a new Head of Service of the federation. He is Dr Danladi Irmiya Kifasi. Until his appointment, Dr Kifasi was a permanent secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum resources. He succeeds Mallam Bukar Goni who retired recently.

Did this really happen? Lol. According to a LIB reader who sent in the photos, her lecturer dressed in Ebola suit with a lion mask to cover her face when she came to lecture them this morning at Anambra State University, Ulli in the department of Mass Communication. She told the students to pardon her costume that she’s trying to prevent herself from the disease.

Robin William's three childre n Zak Williams, 31, Zelda Williams, 25 and Cody Williams, 23, have all written their own deeply touching and emotional tributes to their father, who was found hanged in his bedroom on Monday in California after battling with severe depression. " While I’ll never, ever understand how he could be loved so deeply and not find it in his heart to stay, there’s minor comfort in knowing our grief and loss, in some small way, is shared with millions." - His daughter Zelda wrote Williams hanged himself while his wife slept in the next room. So sad! See the tributes after the cut... Zelda Williams Tribute 'My family has always been private about our time spent together. It was our way of keeping one thing that was ours, with a man we shared with an entire world. But now that’s gone, and I feel stripped bare. 'My last day with him was his birthday, and I will be forever grateful that my brothers and I got to spend...

President Jonathan pictured above using hand sanitizer during on-going meeting on Ebola virus with state governors at the Villa. VP Sambo and Governor Fashola also used the sanitizer. Several state governors, Ministers of Health, Information & FCT are right now in the Villa attending a special meeting with President Jonathan on the Ebola Virus disease. See the pics

Nigeria Football Federation acting president, Mike Umeh, has been screened out of the forthcoming elections, while Chris Giwa is unopposed for the federation’s presidency. According to the electoral guidelines, Giwa, who is the owner of Nigeria premier league club, Giwa FC, will automatically be the new NFF president as he is unopposed. Giwa’s clearance comes despite his indictment by a fact-finding committee into Plateau United when he was the club acting chairman 10 years ago, africanFootball.com reports. It also fuels speculations that the sports ministry has carefully orchestrated what could now be best described as an appointment. Also disqualified is former secretary general of the NFF, Taiwo Ogunjobi. Former Nigeria captain Segun Odegbami, was also not cleared for the August 26 elections to the NFF executive committee. NFF electoral committee chairman, Amoni Biambo, made the disclosure Wednesday in Abuja while rolling out the list of cleared candidate...

Nigerians were less perturbed about the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa until July 20, 2014 when the first case of the deadly virus disease was recorded – no thanks to a Liberian, Patrick Sawyer who brought the disease to Nigeria. Sadly, the recent Ebola outbreak has become a worldwide concern. While some may believe the best response is to declare a state of emergency — some countries have already been put on a travel ban list – it’s virtually impossible to completely halt movement. Sometimes you’ve just got to go, and we get that. Which is why it’s important to know how to protect yourself from the virus while moving around. An Online Hotel Booking Portal, Jovago.com has put together some information on how to stay safe from Ebola while on a trip. Ebola – What Do We Know? It’s a fast-acting virus which causes a hemorrhagic fever – this means it causes internal and external bleeding – and is transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids of inf...

A nurse who had close contact with a Liberian Ebola patient skipped quarantine in Lagos and went to her home in the eastern city of Enugu, where she made contact with 20 other people, the government said on Wednesday. Information Minister Labaran Maku said the nurse, herself a suspected case, and her 20 contacts were all under surveillance in Enugu. Reuters says the latest development brought the total number being watched in Nigeria to 189.

A 19- year-old boy identified as Osagiator Ighodaro has been arrested by the police in Edo State for allegedly making love to a dog inside an uncompleted building. The bestial act happened at Iguosa community in Ovia North East local government area of the state. Osagiator was caught after a neighbour suspected the manner he carried the dog and followed him to the uncompleted building. The suspect who lived at No 13 Midwest Lane, off New Lagos road, Benin City, said he often visits Iguosa community to look for menial jobs. He said the dog followed him as he walked along the street in the community and he took the dog to an uncompleted building where he had canal knowledge of the animal. He said, “As I was walking along the street I saw a dog following me and I carry it like a baby and there after I decided to take it to an uncompleted building where I did what I did to it. It was there that one man came into the building and arrested me. I did not know what came ove...

    The National Health Research Ethics Committee, Nigeria, has approved the use of an experimental Ebola drug, Zmapp, for treatment of patients infected with the virus. The committee, which composed research scientists, is a national body under the Federal Ministry of Health. The endorsement is contained in a statement issued to newsmen by Prof. Clement Adebamowo, Chairman of the committee on Wednesday in Abuja. Continue... The decision by the committee is coming on the heels of Tuesday’s approval by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the use of Zmapp for treatment of Ebola patients. “It is ethical to use these treatments in the current situation without first submitting an application to National, State or Institutional Health Research Ethics Committee for prior review and approval. “In addition, the Committee waives the current requirement that international shipment of any biological samples out of Nigeria should be preceded by the...

United States film and stage actress, Lauren Bacall, has died at the age of 89. Her Hollywood career spanned seven decades, with a memorable debut aged 19 opposite her future husband, Humphrey Bogart, in “To Have and Have Not.” More than 50 years later, “The Mirror Has Two Faces” earned her a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination, the BBC reports. Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1924, she went on to become one of cinema’s biggest stars, best known for her husky voice and smouldering looks. A Twitter account of the Bogart estate, run by Bacall’s son, tweeted: “With deep sorrow, yet with great gratitude for her amazing life, we confirm the passing of Lauren Bacall.” She reportedly died after suffering a major stroke at home in New York. Bacall collected an honorary Oscar in 2009 in recognition of “her central place in the golden age of motion pictures. Born Betty Joan Perske, Bacall took a variation of her mother’s last name after her parents divorced...