The Trade Union Congress, TUC, and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, RTEAN are protesting against the ban on RTEAN operations by the Lagos state government.
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Gusau varsity abduction: Senate calls for immediate rescue of students
The Senate has urgently called for the rescue of the abducted female students of the Federal University in Gusau, Zamfara, by yet-to-be-identified bandits.
NAN reports that the police stated that on Friday, at about 02:50 hrs, suspected bandits, riding about 50 motorcycles and armed with sophisticated weapons, invaded three students’ rented apartments in Sabon Gida Village near the Federal University of Gusau, kidnapping an unspecified number of students.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Army, Sen. Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, made the call in a statement in Abuja on Monday.
He emphasised that rescuing the innocent female students from the captivity of the bandits must be the topmost priority of the country now.
Yar’Adua decried the scourge of banditry and insurgency by criminal elements in the country, with the attendant abduction of law-abiding citizens being a serious dent in the image of the country and the collective conscience of Nigerians.
“This is a moment that demands swift and decisive action. We cannot underestimate the trauma and anguish that these young girls and their families are experiencing right now. It is our duty as leaders to prioritise their safety and well-being above all else,” he said.
He further mentioned that the Nigerian Army and other security agencies must be well-equipped and positioned to stop the menace that is already threatening the nation’s unity, peace, and progress.
“The recent kidnapping of more than 24 innocent school students of the Federal University of Gusau, Nigeria, particularly the young girls, is not just another unfortunate incident but a clear indication that the insecurity plaguing our country has reached alarming levels.
“We can no longer stand idle and allow our nation’s future to be continually threatened. I call upon all stakeholders in government, from the executive to the legislative and the judiciary, to immediately divert our attention to this heinous attack and ensure the safe rescue of our young daughters.
“Furthermore, let us use this unfortunate incident as a wake-up call; the Nigerian government must intensify its efforts in curbing the escalating insecurity that has permeated our land.
“We cannot continue to allow bandits, insurgents, and criminal elements to terrorise our communities, disrupt the education of our children, and instil fear in the hearts of law-abiding citizens
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Fire outbreak won’t affect presidential election petition – Supreme Court
Festus Akande, the Public Relations Officer for the court, says the fire incident that occurred on Monday morning has no connection and won’t have an effect on the presidential election petition.
Earlier that a wing of the Supreme Court complex situated at the Three-Arm-Zone, Abuja, was engulfed by fire on Monday morning.
Speaking during an interview on Arise TV on Monday, Akande stated that the fire outbreak won’t affect anything in the court.
He said, “As a matter of fact, there’s no single connection, and it won’t affect anything in the court.
“This incident occurred in a chamber equipped with a computer and other equipment, as well as a functional library used by any justice occupying such chamber.
“The only thing that was affected were the books and computer equipment in the chamber. Even the books are replaceable.
“Also, it has nothing to do with it because it was from an electrical fault, which could happen anywhere, and there are things that happen daily
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Just in: Fire guts section of Supreme Court
A wing of the Supreme Court complex situated at the Three-Arm-Zone, Abuja, was engulfed by fire on Monday morning.
It was learned that the fire, which started around 7am, caused panic among staff members of the court who scampered to safety.
Though no human casualty was recorded, however, it was not clear whether sensitive documents and files were destroyed by the early morning fire.
A source told Vanguard that the fire was probably caused by electrical malfunction in one of the offices within the administrative wing of the court.
The source confirmed that three offices, including that of Justice Mohammed Saulawa, was touched by the fire before it was eventually put off.
Meanwhile, the court is yet to issue a formal statement on the incident
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FCT residents decry rising insecurity, demand urgent action
By Reporters
Abuja: Some residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have described the rate of kidnapping and robbery within the city centre in recent time, as alarming.
The residents who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday described the spate of insecurity in the FCT as worrisome, alarming and unacceptable.
They urged security agencies and the FCT Administration to take urgent measures to save residents from the criminals.
Mr Joel Adewale, a civil servant, told NAN that his daughter was attacked recently on her way from Wuse to Gwagwalada.
He said she was taken to a lonely road off Airport road before being dispossessed of her belongings.
Adewale added that the girl was forced to put a call across to him to transfer money to her account, which was removed using a PoS machine by the criminals.
“It was more like a case of kidnap for ransom, but I was lucky to have my daughter back after parting with N150,000,” he added.
Mr Joshua Orogun, the former President of Abuja Newspapers Distributors Association, said the increasing rate of insecurity the FCT, had been allowed to linger for over 15 years.
“Though the previous governments tried their best, more need to be done to safeguard the lives of residents.
“I implore the present administration to put in place measures to address the ugly situation headlong.
“I particularly called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to do the needful to come to our aid by deploying the necessary machinery to salvage the situation.
“The situation we found ourselves now, calls for a very sincere approach and fervent prayer,” Orogun added.
According to him, one of his friends and chairman of a motor park in Area 10, was recently kidnapped in Keti, a suburb of Pyakasa, and had to pay N1 million ransom before he was released.
Orogun urged residents to be very vigilant, while going about their legitimate businesses “as everybody is now at the mercy of the perpetrators of these heinous crimes”.
Another resident, Mr Friday Odekina, a communication expert, blamed the increasing insecurity on the rising number of people with no means of livelihood in the FCT.
According to him, the number of people with no means of livelihood trooping to the city has tripled, with some of them taking to crime for survival.
“Everybody is now allowed to be in Abuja against its original master plan that emphasised on a particular set of people.
“To me, if government is serious of fighting the menace headlong, those set of people should be gotten rid of, because they not only constitute nuisance, but are the ones terrorising residents,” Odekina said.
Also, Adeniyi Olajide, a public servant, said that of recent, the rate of insecurity in the FCT had taken a new dimension.
“Just about two weeks ago, a friend of mine was kidnapped and up till now, he is still in captivity.
“The kidnappers made contact and demanded for ransom, but after paying the ransom, he hasn’t regained his freedom up till now.”
He therefore urged the FCT Administration to look inward and checkmate the activities of the criminals.
“The criminals are having a field day in the territory, people now live in perpetual fear, especially while trying to board a cab whether painted or not, because of the fear of the unknown.
“Just recently, a friend of mine boarded a taxi from Lugbe to Wuse District, only for him to be taken to Bwari and dispossessed of everything on him, including all the money in his bank accounts,” he added.
Another victim, who worked with one of the paramilitary agencies died of trauma after he was abducted and dispossessed of all the money in his bank account.
According to a member of the deceased family, who preferred anonymity, the victim encountered the criminals in early August when he boarded a vehicle on his way home after closing from work.
The source said the deceased officer was robbed of huge sums of money kept in his possession by a friend.
He said the trauma of how to refund the money to his friend pushed him into depression and he later died.
Also, a journalist with one of the government owned media organisations in Abuja, was abducted on Sept. 14, after closing from work at about 6 pm.
The lady journalist said she boarded a taxi from Central Area to Lugbe, but was taken to an abandoned building on the outskirts of the city by four armed men.
According to her, the kidnappers forced her to transfer all the money in her bank account amounting to millions of naira.
They further forced her to call her relations and friends who also paid over a million naira in ransom before her release.
When contacted, the FCT Police Command, downplayed the reports of increasing incidences of robbery, kidnapping and other criminal activities in the territory.
According to the command Spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, the command is doing its best to safeguard lives and property of residents.
“It is not true that the activities of “one chance” is increasing in the FCT because the command is not relenting in its efforts to protect lives and property.
“We have deployed appropriate assets and personnel across the territory to track criminals and protect residents,” Adeh said.
She urged residents to be security conscious and support the police and other security agencies with actionable intelligence reports to track and apprehend criminals.
“The fight against criminality is a collective one, so residents must be careful of places they board taxis because most of these criminals take advantage of such places.
“The command has over time embarked on enlightenment campaigns on the strategies the criminals usually deploy in carrying out their operations.
“Residents must play their part by ensuring that they board taxis in approved places and be watchful of the people in the taxi before boarding,” she added.
Meanwhile, the FCTA Task Force on City Sanitation, said it had been clamping down on the “one-chance” robbery syndicates in the city.
The Secretary, Command and Control of the Taskforce, Mr Peter Olumuji, explained that the syndicates usually use unpainted taxis in unapproved motor parks to perpetrate their evil acts of kidnapping and seizing people’s valuables.
Olumuji said that the taskforce comprised the Nigerian Police, Civil Defence, Department of State Security, Immigration and Correctional services, and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
Others, he said, were the Directorate of Road Traffic Service, Abuja Environmental Protection Board, Social Development Secretariat, and other relevant agencies in the FCT.
He added that the task force had been very active in dislodging miscreants known for attacking unsuspecting residents, mostly at night, from their hideouts.
According to him, the raid is part of a holistic security operation to ensure the safety and free movement of residents within the city.
“We have been receiving reports about the operation of “one chance” syndicates in some locations in the city.
“The enforcement team is all out to ensure that we raid any location that harbours “one chance” motorists, illegal motor parks, or unapproved parking spaces.
“We have also realized that besides causing public nuisance, some beggars are being used to gather information for criminals,” he added.
On her part, Mrs Deborah Osho, Head of Operations, FCTA Directorate of Road Traffic Service, said that taskforce was also enforcing the ban on the operations of motorcycles and tricycles constituting security threat in the city.
Osho explained that motorcycles were being used by criminals to quickly escape from crime scenes.
“They are also being used for many criminal activities including snatching valuables and mobile handset from unsuspecting passersby.
“This is in addition to the rising number of casualties from accidents involving Okada riders,” she said
The head of operations said that security agencies had tagged the commercial motorcycles as “security threat” and wanted them off the city routes.
Osho, however, advised residents against boarding okadas and patronising unpainted taxis for their safety. (NAN) / Flowerbudnews
Edited by Thompson Yamput/Maharazu Ahmed
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Grants Conditional Emergency Use Approval of Medical Devices (COVID-19 Antibody and Antigen Test Kits, PPEs, etc.) Companies
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, pursuant to the powers conferred on it by section 5 of the NAFDAC Act, to regulate and control the manufacture, importation, exportation distribution sale, use and advertisement of Medical Devices, has taken some regulatory steps in the fight against COVID-19.
The current COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated that NAFDAC put measures in place to ensure access to health commodities that have the potential to impact positively on public health outcomes. These include, but are not limited to, diagnostics necessary to support public health infrastructure and guide the response necessary to combat and address the pandemic.
The antibody test kits (IgG/IgM) can be used in COVID-19 confirmed individuals, who can then be tested at the designated centers using the antibody kits, to confirm that they have antibodies and as such may not be infected again. The antigen tests kits on the other hand, can detect the COVID-19 antigen in patients with or without symptoms. The results are only qualitative (positive or negative)There has been a global effort by innovative diagnostic companies to develop test kits to aid in detection of the virus in patients to guide the management of the disease. The Agency has recently received many requests for Emergency Use Authorization for some of such diagnostic test kits to support the national response and ensure expanded testing capabilities.
NAFDAC has put in place regulatory measures to ensure quality, safety and efficacy criteria are assessed.
These measures are supported by documentation which include the following:
1. Prior registration and approval by reference regulatory authorities such as those of Japan, USA, Germany, Canada, European Medicine Agency, etc.
2. Registration by the Regulatory Authority in the Country of Manufacture
3. Declaration of Conformity
4.Validation/performance evaluation /Clinical Evaluation ReportNAFDAC is part of the African Medical Devices Forum (AMDF), a Technical Working Group of African Medical Products Regulatory Harmonization (AMRH) that has a joint secretariat with WHO. Deliberations of the Forum that will be shared with the AMRH Steering Committee for approval and implementation, will further guide NAFDAC. Some of the technical issues that will come out of the deliberations include updates on the list of COVID-19 in vitro diagnostics and medical devices, substandard and falsified commodities and handling of donations.
NAFDAC will continue to stay abreast of current best global practices in this area and monitor updates to the WHO collated list of medical devices being used by different countries.
In addition to these requirements, the full approval of any diagnostic/test kit by NAFDAC for COVID-19 will be subject to in-country validation to assess the sensitivity or rate of failure (i.e., indication of false positives), and specificity.
Failure to comply could lead to revocation of any approval granted for importation of the products and forfeiture of same to the agency for destruction.
NAFDAC has reduced the “registration to approval” time from 120 working days to 10 working days due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus far, the Agency has processed seventeen (17) applications using the expedited review process but has only granted Emergency approval to seven (7) companies using the criteria listed above.
The availability of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for health care providers is a critical component of the effort to stem the COVID 19 pandemic. These PPEs include gloves, protective goggles, face shields, protective gowns and masks in the form of particulate respirators and surgical masks. These must meet certain technical requirements and specifications in order to achieve the objective and offer some measure of protection to health care providers and limit their exposure to infection .
Please note, no vaccines have been approved for any clinical trial. That may not happen before one year to eighteen months, after clinical trials must have been conducted in different countries. This will be followed by rigorous in-country assessment in line with laid down protocols to further ensure safety and efficacy.
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Public Alert No. 004/2020 – Alert on Falsified Chloroquine Phosphate 250mg Tablets Circulating in Cameroon
The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has been
notified by World Health Organization (WHO) on the circulation of falsified Chloroquine
Phosphate 250mg tablets in Cameroon.
The falsified Chloroquine Phosphate 250mg tablets are manufactured by Jiangsu
Pharmaceutical Inc, Longchil Road, Ylxing, Jiangsu, China and Astral Pharmaceuticals,
New Bhupalpura, Regd No: 0587612.
The falsified Chloroquine Phosphate 250mg Tablets manufactured by the above two
companies have no Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) and are in packs of 1000
tablets.
The use of falsified Chloroquine Phosphate 250mg tablets may result in treatment failure
and even death.
The labelling information on falsified Chloroquine Phosphate 250mg tablets manufactured
by Jiangsu Pharmaceutical Inc, Longchil Road, Ylxing, Jiangsu, China are:
• Product Name: Chloroquine Phosphate 250mg Tablets
• Batch No: 660
• Mfg Dt: 09/2018
• Exp Dt: 09/2022
• Code: MH/DRUGS/KD-271
• Labelled fake NAFDAC No: 028060
The pictorial presentation of the falsified Chloroquine Phosphate 250mg tablets
manufactured by Jiangsu Pharmaceutical Inc, Longchil Road, Ylxing, Jiangsu, China is asThe labelling information on falsified Chloroquine Phosphate 250mg tablets manufactured
by Astral Pharmaceuticals, New Bhupalpura, Regd No: 0587612 are:
• Product Name: Chloroquine Phosphate 250mg Tablets
• N’Lot: EBT 2542
• Date de fab: 01/2019
• Date de Pe’rl: 10/2022
• Regd No: 0587612
The pictorial presentation of the falsified Chloroquine Phosphate 250mg tablets
manufactured by Astral Pharmaceuticals, New Bhupalpura, Regd No: 0587612 is asGenuine Chloroquine Phosphate 250mg tablets registered by NAFDAC is used for
treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and extraintestinal amebiasis.
All importers, wholesalers and retailers are implored to desist from illegal importation,
distribution and sale of the falsified Chloroquine Phosphate 250mg tablets.
Surveillance has been strengthened by NAFDAC at all ports of entry to prevent illegal
importation of the falsified Chloroquine Phosphate 250mg tablets.
The Agency has heightened surveillance in the thirty-six States and the Federal Capital
Territory, Abuja to prevent distribution and sale of falsified Chloroquine Phosphate
250mg tablets.
Health care providers and other members of the public are advised to be vigilant and
contact the nearest NAFDAC office with any information on the falsified Chloroquine
Phosphate 250mg tablets.
Anybody in possession of the falsified Chloroquine Phosphate 250mg tablets should
submit it to the nearest NAFDAC office.
Consumers are advised to report adverse events related to use of medicines to the nearest
NAFDAC office, 0800-1-NAFDAC (0800-1-623322) TOLL FREE from all networks or pharmacovigilance@nafdac.gov.ng -
COVID-19 Personal Protection Equipment (PPEs) Masks And Protective Clothing
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has the mandate to enlighten the public regarding the medical products needed for the nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the Agency has put in place an expedited registration pathway to allow the granting of Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the masks and Personal Protection Equipment.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): These are used in different settings to provide some level of personal protection. They serve to protect the wearer as they carry out various activities. Any setting that entails some level of risk in a work environment, has a requirement for the use of PPE.
Face masks and Protective clothing are some of the examples of PPEs worn by persons to create a barrier and offer different levels of protection. This barrier reduces the spread of infectious material in the hospital and or in the community.
There are different types of face masks and protective clothing available for use, depending on the degree of risk of exposure to infectious material. The risk of exposure may range from minimal/low to very high risk. The higher the risk, the higher the level of protection needed. There are different types of face masks and protective clothing depending on the levels of exposure. Health care professionals by virtue of their jobs, are at highest risk.
TYPES OF MASKS
There are basically two types of masks:
Non-Medical
Medical masks and Respirators
NON-MEDICAL OR BARRIER FACE MASKS
Non-medical face masks include self-made or commercial masks or face covers made of cloth, other textiles or other materials such as paper. They are not standardized and are not intended for use in healthcare settings or by healthcare professionals.
They serve to limit spread of droplets and offer some measure of protection to those around you.
The material of construction is usually cloth(textile fabric), non-woven wadding, or paper-like materials. For these Barrier Masks, 100% cotton is preferred though, polyester, linen or knit fabric can be used.
Simple test: If wearer can put off a flame from a cigarette lighter that is placed in front of the wearer, the mask is protective enough
Barrier face masks do not prevent you from contracting disease but, they have been found to contribute to reduce spread of infections when used widely in conjunction with other measures. Such measures include social distancing, not touching the face, eyes or mouth, washing of hands with soap for 20 secs or use of alcohol based hand sanitizers.
These face masks are recommended to be washed daily and preferably should be a double layer of fabric to increase the absorbency and effectiveness.
It must be noted that several washes, drying and stretching of the mask over time reduce the effectiveness of the mask.
Barrier masks are not intended for use in healthcare settings or by healthcare professionals
MEDICAL MASK
- SURGICAL/ MEDICAL MASK
These are fairly loose-fitting disposable masks used by medical/health personnel in health facilities. The surgical masks are made of non-woven fabric (polypropylene) consisting of multiple layers.
These masks help prevent large droplets of bodily fluids that may contain germs, including viruses, from coming in direct contact with the patient or the healthcare personnel. They also help to prevent hand-to-face contact.
- RESPIRATORS
Respirators which are also called N95, N98 or KN95 respirator masks, are designed to protect the wearer from small (0.3 micron) particles in the air, such as viruses, which the regular surgical masks do not protect against.
These respirators provide an air tight seal, when fitted correctly, and filter out very small particles, including viruses such as the COVID 19. The respirators are made of fine mesh synthetic polymer fiber.
- N95 Masks
An N95 respirator is a respiratory protective device designed to achieve a very close facial fit and very efficient filtration of airborne particles.
The ‘N95’ designation means that when subjected to careful testing, the respirator blocks at least 95 percent of very small (0.3 micron) test particles. If properly fitted, the filtration capabilities of N95 respirators exceed those of face masks.
- N98 Masks
An N98 respirator is a respiratory protective device designed to achieve a very close facial fit and very efficient filtration of airborne particles.
The ‘N98’ designation means that when subjected to careful testing, the respirator blocks at least 98 percent of very small (0.25 micron) test particles. If properly fitted, the filtration capabilities of N98 respirators exceed those of face masks.
- KN95
The KN95 respirator mask is a Chinese version of the American N95 respirator with significant difference in design and face fit.
PROTECTIVE CLOTHING
These are clothing designed and made of suitable material to protect either the wearer’s body or other items of clothing from contact with disease causing agents.
These include:
- Protective Coveralls (with attached hood):These are one-piece, loose-fitting protective suits that offer protection against outside contaminants over a large area of the body. They are used by all workers (such as emergency workers) who due to the nature of their job, are exposed to disease causing agent.
- Medical Gowns: These are Protective clothing used in healthcare setting:
There are basically two types:
- Surgical gowns: These are used by medical personnel during surgical procedure and should confer protection from cross contamination.
- Non-surgical gowns: These should cover as much of the body as is appropriate for the intended use.
- Apron: This is a garment usually of cloth, plastic, or leather usually tied around the waist and used to protect clothing.
- Head and Shoe Covers: provide a barrier to the feet and head against possible exposure to disease causing organisms.
- Goggles: These are safety glasses that fit tightly to the eye, and protect the eye from contact.
- Face Shields: These are used to protect the entire face from potentially infectious material.
Important points to note on protective clothing:
- Simply wearing protective clothing will not guarantee protection. The protective effect of the clothing can only be ensured if the clothing is put on and taken off in the correct way and, if correct working procedures are followed.
- Protective clothing is disposable in most cases though, some can be reused after sterilization.
- Standard protective clothing should be chosen.
- Protective clothing should fit the wearer and should not hamper movement.
- Protective clothing should be checked before use and replaced if damaged.
- Contaminated protective clothing should be disposed of in specially designed rubbish bag.
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Ilegal Distribution and Sales of Unregistered Hand Sanitizer
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) hereby alerts the public on illegal distribution and sale of unregistered Hand Sanitizers. The unregistered Hand Sanitizers are illegally distributed and sold under various names including:
- Mighti Shield Instant Hand Sanitizer.
- Assured Instant Hand Sanitizer.
- One Step Hand Sanitizer.
- Shield Germ Hand Sanitizer.
- Lima Hand Sanitizer.
- Senarita Hand Sanitizer.
- AUS-B Hand Sanitizer.
- Bakson Hand Sanitizer.
- Peru Hand Sanitizer.
The package labels of affected unregistered Hand Sanitizers have no NAFDAC Registration Numbers, no batch numbers, no manufacturing and expiry dates; no names and full location addresses of manufacturers.
The quality and safety of the unregistered Hand Sanitizers are not guaranteed because they are not evaluated and registered by NAFDAC.
The members of the public are advised to use genuine NAFDAC registered Hand Sanitizers. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Agency had recently given expedited review to many businesses that are capable of producing sanitizers.
For sanitizers approved by NAFDAC, we appealed to the public not to hike prices suggested by manufacturers to the point that the public cannot afford. Sanitizer is needed to prevent spreading of COVID-19 infection and if sold at exorbitant price, somebody who could not afford to purchase may be exposed to the risk of infection.
NAFDAC has heightened surveillance in the thirty-six (36) States and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja to prevent distribution and sale of unregistered Hand Sanitizers.
The members of the public are implored to contact the nearest NAFDAC Office with any information on illegal distribution and sale of unregistered Hand Sanitizers.
Anybody or organization discovered to be involved in illegal distribution and sale of unregistered Hand Sanitizers will be severely sanctioned