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Medical expert blames pure water for cholera outbreak, urges Government to ban sale

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A General Physician, Dr Tunji Akintade, has called for a ban on the sale of ‘nylon water’ to reduce the transmission of cholera disease in the country.

Akintade, former Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners (ANPMP), said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.

NAN reports that due to the biting economic situation and the increased price of sachet water, some street traders emerged with the sale of nylon water as a cost-cutting measure for the public.

Sachet water, popularly known as “pure water”, is being sold at ₦50 in most parts of Lagos, while nylon water is sold for ₦10 or ₦20, depending on the location.

Akintade appealed to the Federal Government to urgently restrict the sale of nylon water to reduce the transmission and deaths arising from cholera outbreaks nationwide. The physician warned the public against consuming nylon water, stressing that the source and purification of such water were in doubt, especially as they are unregistered.

He disclosed that past tests had confirmed the contamination of some boreholes and well water by pathogens, emphasising that nylon water was unsafe for consumption.

“People can get cholera by drinking unsafe water or eating food contaminated with cholera bacteria.

“It’s so sad that people neglect their health because of financial concerns and some unscrupulous traders are cashing on it,” he said.

Akintade appealed to the government to intensify surveillance across communities and attach punitive measures for traders of nylon water toward safeguarding the health of citizens.

The physician also called for effective monitoring and regulations of pure water and bottled water factories to ensure they adhere to safety standards in their production. He lamented the perennial cholera outbreak in the country, noting that cholera had ceased to be a public health concern in industrialised countries that deployed modern sewage and water treatment.

Akintade urged the Federal and state governments to move beyond alerting the public about the unsafe conditions of the water source to expediting actions to improve access to clean and safe water through functional water boards.

The physician stressed that doing that would mitigate the health risks associated with the consumption of unsafe water, especially as rain and flooding are causing waterborne diseases in communities.

He added that ingesting contaminated food could also cause cholera, advising the public to ensure vegetables and fruits are properly washed before eating and food produced in a hygienic environment.

Akintade stressed the equipping of environmental inspection officers with improved training and equipment required to effectively monitor and clean the environment.

“The issue of revenue generation through them should be downplayed for them to achieve their core mandates, focusing on ways to generate money has trivialised their role,” he told NAN.

Cholera is an acute diarrhoea infection caused by eating or drinking food or water that is contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on June 24 disclosed that 53 deaths and 1,528 suspected cholera cases were recorded across 31 states, since the beginning of 2024.

Lagos State is the epicentre of the cholera outbreak with 29 fatalities, 579 suspected cases and 43 laboratory-confirmed cases across multiple Local Government Areas in the state.

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Two rescued as building under construction collapses in Abuja

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The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Department (FEMD) says two people have been rescued from a collapsed building in Abuja.

In a statement on Saturday, Florence Wenegieme, FEMD acting director-general, said the building collapsed on Friday evening.

Wenegieme said the collapsed building was a duplex under construction located at Close 10, Drive 5, second gate of Prince and Princess Estate, Gudu District.

She said FEMD alerted the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the FCT fire service immediately after it received a distress call about the incident.

The FEMD acting director-general said the construction workers ran out of the building when they noticed that building was going to collapse.

She added that the two people rescued were in a detached bungalow behind the building when the incident happened.

“The trapped workers were rescued by the FEMD search and rescue team, who cut through the window protectors and pulled them out,” she said.

Emphasising construction safety, Wenegieme urged developers and homeowners to prioritize following building codes, including professional assessments of existing buildings before renovations begin and proper safety gear for workers.

She also called for insurance coverage for both the building and the workers.

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One dies in Third Mainland Bridge accident

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One person was confirmed dead in an accident that occurred on the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos on Saturday morning.

The accident involved a mini truck (MUS 489 XS) and a Toyota Camry (KRD 470 JD).

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the accident was caused by excessive speeding during a downpour this morning,” the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority said in a statement.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Mr Sola Giwa, in the statement signed by Mr Adebayo Taofiq, Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, LASTMA, said that three others were rescued at the accident scene.

He said that operatives of LASTMA responded swiftly to the accident, which occured near the Unilag waterfront, heading towards the Iyana-Oworonsoki area of Lagos.

Giwa said that despite the government’s ongoing campaign to educate motorists about speed limits, drivers continued to flout the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018.

He urged both commercial bus drivers and private car owners to avoid exceeding speed limits on the Third Mainland Bridge and other roads throughout the state.

Giwa said that the deceased was promptly removed by State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SEHMU) officials, while LASTMA cleared the accident vehicles to ensure smooth traffic flow on the bridge.

He extended his condolences to the family of the deceased and emphasised the importance of road safety.

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Turkey deports 103 Nigerians over expired visas, irregular migration

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Turkey has deported 103 Nigerians over migration-related issues.

Catherine Udida, director of migration affairs, National Commission for Refugees Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), received the deportees at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Friday.

Udida, who was represented by Tijani Ahmed, federal commissioner, NCFRMI, said the commission expected 110 deportees but received 103.

“Some of them have been in the deportation camp for some months, and now that they are here, we are hoping to follow up on all the allegations gathered in their profiling,” Udida said.

The director said some of the deportees alleged that their passports were seized.

“We are going to follow up with the Turkish authority because the passports are still the property of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Udida said.

Arinze Stone, a deportee, said Turkish authorities arrested and detained him in a camp for about six months.

Stone said despite living in Turkey for some years, officials frustrated his resident permit renewal after the European Union (EU) started paying the Middle Eastern country for illegal immigrants.

“Each day, the European Union pays 120 euros per head of immigrants in the immigration camp,” NAN quoted Stone as saying.

“Ever since I had been in Turkey, I always had my resident permit renewed.

“It just got expired and the Turkish authority collected 700 euros from me for tax and insurance and then cancelled the renewal.”

Moses Emeh, who said he was arrested and put in a dungeon for 11 months and three weeks, alleged the same treatment.

“I was told that if I did not sign the deportation documents, I would have to stay in their custody for one year to two years, after which I could be released and given immigration documents to sign, then be reintegrated into the system. But, they never fulfilled that,” said Emeh who has a registered company in Turkey.

“I also know that occupying a territory without a permit is a crime, but mine was forcibly terminated twice, and I took the case to court. Since my case was already in court and the court was yet to preside over my case, I don’t think it is right for them to deport me.”

Bashir Garga, the north-central zonal coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), assured the returnees of the government’s readiness to support them through collaborative efforts of all relevant agencies.

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