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Gov. Mbah vows to deal with individuals, groups dissuading residents against vaccination

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Vaccination
Deputy Gov Ifeanyi Ossai vaccinating a pupil during the exercise
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Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State says the state government will deal decisively with individuals or groups found dissuading the state’s residents against accepting and receiving vaccinations.

Mbah, represented by his Deputy, Chief Ifeanyi Ossai, gave the warning on Tuesday while flagging-off the Introduction of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Vaccination into the Routine Immunisation Schedule in Enugu State.

The flag-off was used to launch a free-of-charge week-long and statewide vaccination of HPV vaccine (meant to prevent cervical cancer) for girls between the ages of nine and 14, which will run from Oct. 24 to Oct. 29.

The governor noted that the state government would not fold its arms and watch those, who are not medically inclined and knowledgeable on medical issues, to rubbish its efforts through social media and other means.

“We are monitoring individuals and groups who are in the habit of dissuading our residents in taking preventive healthcare vaccination meant to better their present and future health.

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“As a government, we will not allow those uninformed on health matters to rubbish our huge investment and commitment in the healthcare and well-being of our residents and people.

“We are going to take decisive legal steps on such individuals and groups henceforth. We are monitoring those sabotaging our efforts,” he said.

Deputy Gov Ifeanyi Ossai flagging off the vaccination exercise

• Enugu Deputy Gov Ifeanyi Ossai flagging off the vaccination exercise

The governor thanked all health development partners for supporting the government’s resolve to improve the health of all residents of the state especially on preventive healthcare.

He noted that the HPV vaccine and other vaccines administered in the state had been scientifically proven for many years to be safe, effective and without any side effects.

Earlier, Dr Ifeyinwa Ani-Osheku, Executive Secretary, Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency (EN-PHCDA), said that the HPV vaccination was not just about vaccines and shots, adding that it would foster a culture of health and well-being in the state.

According to Ani-Osheku, it is also about educating our girls and their families about the importance of regular check-ups and screenings.

“It is about spreading awareness about other preventive strategies of Cervical Cancers including abstinence and regular screening as early detection can be the key to survival. It is about encouraging a society that prioritises the health of our women.

“If something were easy, it would have been done by now, if it hasn’t been done, then we know the kinds of obstacles we are about to overcome.

“We face increasing disinformation and distraction from sources easily accessible for example social media that crowd the information space with confusing and conflicting messages and increasing the difficulties we face with building trust and establishing what the facts are in so many things including vaccines.

“The vaccine being introduced today is the Gardacil Vaccine, which has been in use for over 17 years, gone through extensive and rigorous testing and certified effective and free against at least 95 per cent of HPV cervical causing strains,” she said.

She noted that “there is a high possibility of eliminating all forms of cancer”, starting with cervical cancer and when this is done it would be one less thing for young women to worry about as they grow into adulthood.

The executive secretary said that the Agency was not alone on this journey, adding: “We thank the Federal Ministry of Health with the NPHCDA for their doggedness in ensuring the achievement of this laudable project.

“I must not fail to also extend our profound gratitude to His Excellency, Dr Peter Mbah, for the massive support the agency has received and continues to receive; the Deputy Governor who directly oversees the immunization project of the state for his ever constant support.

“We also appreciate our parent ministry and our Commissioner for Health, Prof. Emmanuel Obi, for his passion to drive the Enugu State health sector to greater heights.

“We thank the CMD Parklane Hospital and our incredible partners (UNICEF, WHO, SYDANI) for staying so engaged with us during the past couple of months and that is why we are where we are today,” he said.

In an address, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Emmanuel Obi, said that cancer, especially cervical cancer, had continued to give those in the medical world a serious cause for concern.

“We will continue to engage in aggressive health promotion and prevention for the benefit of our people and these moves will raise awareness and participation of our residents in health programmes and projects,” Obi said.

In a goodwill message, Mr James Chukwunwedu representing the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), lauded the state government for contributing its counterpart fund for the vaccination as well as putting other logistics on ground for take-off of the HPV vaccine.

Speaking, Dr Adaze Ugwu, State Coordinator of WHO, said that her organization would continue to offer technical support to the state government of Enugu State in promoting health.

Ugwu said: “This, we have demonstrated in many ways including ensuring a successful roll-out of HPV vaccine introduction in the state. We commend other partners in the state for the support they have provided to make this campaign successful as well”.

The HPV vaccination would be introduced into the Routine Immunisation (RI) schedule and would be available in our Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) for those that were missed. The HPV vaccination would eventually be given to girls aged nine years from 2025.

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Enugu Air Launches New Website

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…moves online services to www.enuguairlines.ng

Enugu Air has announced the launch of its new official website, enuguairlines.ng, as part of efforts to provide passengers and customers with a better, safer and more convenient digital experience.

The airline said the migration to the new website is designed to improve how passengers connect with Enugu Air and access its services online, including flight bookings, schedules and the latest updates.

Announcing the development, the airline said: “We’ve moved! We’re innovating! We’ve migrated to a better, safer and convenient website to connect you to the world.”

Passengers can now access Enugu Air’s online services through its new web address, enuguairlines.ng, which the airline described as its new digital home.

The airline urged passengers and prospective travellers to save the new web address and use it for flight bookings, checking schedules and obtaining the latest information about its operations.

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“Same Enugu Air. New web address,” the airline stated, emphasising that the change represents an improvement in its digital platform while retaining the Enugu Air brand and services.

The airline further encouraged customers to visit, www.enuguairlines.ng for all flight-related information and online services.

It further stated that the old website, enuguairlines•com has been discarded and no longer in use.

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Kidnapped female Police officer found dead in Ebonyi

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A kidnapped female police officer has been found dead in Ebonyi State after a suspected member of a kidnapping syndicate was arrested and led police operatives to the scene where her remains were recovered.

The Nigeria Police Force disclosed this in its state-by-state operational update issued by Force Public Relations Officer
Force Headquarters, Ani Iniedu on Monday, detailing several arrests, rescues and recoveries recorded across the country between September 19 and 20, 2026.

According to the police, the suspect was arrested following a sustained intelligence-led and technology-based investigation into the kidnapping of the female officer.

The suspect reportedly led combined police teams to the crime scene, where the remains of the officer were recovered.

The police said the case is being investigated by the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Abakaliki.

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In a separate operation in Adamawa State, police operatives rescued two kidnapped victims from a suspected kidnappers’ hideout in Shako Forest, Toungo Local Government Area.

The operation, carried out on September 20 following actionable intelligence, also led to the recovery of two magazines containing 10 rounds of 7.62×39mm live ammunition.

A National Identification Number (NIN) card, mobile phone, passport and chain were also recovered from the suspected hideout.

In the Federal Capital Territory, police arrested 334 suspects during coordinated raids on criminal hotspots, black spots and uncompleted buildings across several locations.

The operation, conducted on September 19, also resulted in the recovery of various quantities of substances suspected to be illicit drugs.

Meanwhile, police in Anambra State arrested a suspected child trafficker who was allegedly intercepted while travelling with a six-month-old baby boy.

The baby was recovered and handed over to the appropriate authorities for necessary action, according to the police.

In Kaduna State, four suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate were arrested following intelligence-led operations.

Police said the suspects confessed to their alleged involvement in kidnapping and provided information about fleeing accomplices. A locally made Dane gun was recovered.

Another suspected kidnapping syndicate member was arrested at Soba Market in the state. Police said the suspect also confessed and gave information implicating five fleeing accomplices.

In Ogun State, police arrested a suspect linked to a fatal shooting incident in Isara, Remo North Local Government Area.

One single-barrel gun, one live cartridge and one expended shell were recovered during the operation.

In Imo State, a suspect was arrested during a raid on a suspected criminal gathering at Nekede, Owerri West Local Government Area, with police recovering a locally made cut-to-size single-barrel gun.

Police in Ekiti State also arrested two suspects linked to multiple shop-breaking and stealing incidents in Ado-Ekiti and recovered suspected stolen iron rods.

In another operation in Ado-Ekiti, police recovered an abandoned white sack containing a pump-action gun loaded with two live cartridges and a locally made single-barrel gun from a farmland.

In Benue State, police tactical teams, supported by personnel of the Police Mobile Force and military, intervened in a renewed communal conflict at Akpa-Mbakor Community in Tarka Local Government Area.

The security teams dispersed the rampaging youths and restored normalcy in the area, according to the police.

In Oyo State, police arrested a truck driver allegedly involved in a fatal road traffic incident along the Ijebu-Ode/Idi Ayunre Road.

The truck was impounded for further inspection and investigation.

The police said all the cases remain under investigation by the respective State Criminal Investigation Departments.

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UK excludes Nigerian, Ghanaian-trained teachers from teaching qualification list

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Teachers trained in Nigeria and Ghana are no longer eligible to apply for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in England under the United Kingdom’s overseas-trained teacher application route.

The change took effect on September 9 and means teachers trained in the two West African countries can no longer use the route to obtain QTS, a status recognised by many schools in England.

The UK Department for Education said countries included in the scheme must meet specific requirements to ensure that applicants’ qualifications, professional standing and teaching experience can be properly verified. One of the requirements is that a country must have a national regulator capable of confirming a teacher’s professional status and providing authenticated references.

According to the department, Nigeria and Ghana did not meet the reference-verification requirement.

“Our data shows that more than 70% of applications from teachers in Ghana and Nigeria include work history references that use public email addresses, such as Gmail or Hotmail, rather than a school’s official email domain. This means assessors spend additional time and resources trying to verify information provided in applications,” the department said.

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The UK department said about 90 percent of applications are assessed within 12 months.

India was also removed from the eligible list because it does not have a national regulator capable of confirming teachers’ professional standing.

South Africa is now the only African country remaining on the list of countries whose teachers can use the QTS application route.

The department said the verification process was necessary to ensure that information provided by applicants was genuine and that teachers awarded QTS possessed the required skills and experience to teach in England.

To apply for QTS, overseas-trained teachers must have a valid passport, an undergraduate degree equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree and professional recognition as a teacher in the country where they trained.

Applicants must also have completed any mandatory induction requirements needed for full teacher registration in their country of qualification.

They are required to demonstrate that they are qualified to teach children aged between five and 16 and have at least nine months of teaching experience gained after qualifying as a teacher.

Applicants must also provide employment references that verify their work history and use an email address linked to the school’s official domain.

Depending on the country where a teacher trained, additional requirements may include qualifications to teach pupils aged between 11 and 16 and a specialism in subjects such as mathematics, science, biology, chemistry, physics, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Mandarin, Russian or Spanish.

However, because teachers in England are employed by individual schools rather than the Department for Education, schools may consider alternative routes into teaching.

The department said teachers who are no longer eligible to use the QTS application service can explore other routes into teaching in England.

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