Flooding in Rivers State could trigger disease outbreaks and worsen food insecurity, the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH), has warned.   The association’s president, Dr Chris-Biriowu Harold, raised the alarm at the group’s Second Ordinary General Meeting, held under the theme, “Health Workers Security Summit.” Harold described flooding as a “turmoil”, warning that flood-prone communities could face increased cases of malaria and other diseases. He said flooding could also destroy crops, potentially worsening food insecurity, hunger and famine among affected communities. “Flood is a turmoil in any part of the world. It happens here in Rivers State. We know the consequences. It can lead to diseases, plagues. There is always an increase in malaria at flood-prone areas, and it can also lead to hunger and famine in the land because crops will die. People will suffer,” he said. The doctor urged residents to take precautions against flood-related health risks by keeping their surroundings clean and avoiding the disposal of refuse in gutters and drainage channels. He also commended the Rivers State Government for its efforts to mitigate the impact of the flooding. Doctors Raise Alarm Over Healthcare Workers’ Safety The resident doctors also used the summit to call for stronger security measures to protect doctors and other healthcare workers from attacks. Harold said the association was working with security agencies to develop strategies for preventing assaults on medical personnel. He advised healthcare workers to remain security-conscious, use established communication channels and promptly report security concerns. Representing the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, ACP Ahunnaya Chukwudi said the command had continued to deploy personnel to protect healthcare facilities and residents. He urged health workers to remain vigilant, report security threats and de-escalate potentially violent situations. Major Oluwakayode Johnson, representing the General Officer Commanding, 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Ernest Okoro, described healthcare as “national critical infrastructure” and called for stronger protection of hospitals. He advocated functional hospital security committees, emergency alarms, screening and detection systems, de-escalation training and trained security guards at healthcare facilities. The summit was attended by healthcare workers and other stakeholders, with discussions also focusing on the rights of health workers and patients.

The October 5 Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash in Igbokoda, Ondo State, has prompted renewed efforts to strengthen cooperation between Nigeria’s civil and military aviation authorities.   Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, agreed to deepen collaboration on aviation safety, airworthiness, certification, training and capacity building. The agreement was reached when Keyamo paid a condolence visit to Aneke following the crash, which claimed the lives of all 25 people aboard the aircraft. The Nigerian Air Force aircraft, carrying 20 passengers and five crew members, was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when it crashed in a swampy area near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area. The aircraft lost contact at about 9:13am before its wreckage was located near the naval facility. Recovery operations were subsequently launched at the difficult-to-access crash site. The Air Force later confirmed the deaths of all 25 occupants and released the names of the five crew members and 20 passengers. Aneke also ordered a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash. President Bola Tinubu subsequently declared three days of national mourning for the victims and directed the Air Force to investigate the cause of the accident. Against this backdrop, Keyamo and Aneke said the tragedy highlighted the need for closer coordination between civil and military aviation authorities. The proposed collaboration is expected to provide a joint framework for strengthening safety standards, technical expertise, certification processes and capacity across both sectors. The development comes as recovery efforts continue at the crash site, with the Nigerian Navy and Marine Police participating in the operation.

The Federal Capital Territory Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress has declared an indefinite strike across the FCT over a dispute with the FCT Administration concerning teachers’ promotion policies.   The strike, which began on Wednesday, October 7, followed the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the FCT Administration. The NLC directed workers in the public and private sectors to shut down schools, hospitals, government offices and other establishments. According to the NLC, the FCT Administration failed to satisfactorily address its demands, particularly its opposition to the requirement that vacancies must exist before teachers can be promoted. The labour council argued that the policy has contributed to prolonged career stagnation among teachers and should not apply to the teaching profession. In resolutions signed by its chairman, Knabayi Adalo, the NLC said teachers employed by the FCT Universal Basic Education Board and FCT Secondary Education Board were recruited specifically to teach and should therefore be promoted as and when due. The council also demanded that teachers who became eligible for promotion in 2025 be allowed to take their promotion examinations before or alongside the 2026 candidates. Other demands include the withdrawal of redeployment and demotion letters issued to directors affected by the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers Act, 2022. The NLC is also calling for the immediate reinstatement of the dissolved management teams of the FCT Secondary Education Board and FCT Universal Basic Education Board. The decision to commence the strike was reached at the council’s State Executive Council meeting held on October 6 at the NLC FCT Secretariat. The council rejected the FCT Administration’s response to its ultimatum, describing it as unclear and unacceptable. It said the response failed to address the vacancy requirement, which it described as the root cause of teachers’ career stagnation. The NLC also accused the FCTA of remaining silent on what it described as the illegal redeployment of directors. The labour council said it would no longer tolerate policies it considers detrimental to FCT teachers.

Twenty prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and one other victim abducted in Imo State have regained their freedom after a coordinated security operation.   The victims were rescued from the Amakohia-Ubi forest in Owerri West Local Government Area and taken to the Department of State Services (DSS) Hospital in Owerri for medical attention and necessary checks. The NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, visited the rescued victims at the DSS clinic. He was accompanied by the Imo State Commissioner of Police, the Director of the DSS and the Brigade Commander, 34 Artillery Brigade, Imo. The victims were abducted on October 1 while travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states. The two buses carrying the prospective corps members were attacked near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State. Following the incident, security agencies launched a search-and-rescue operation. Police later located the kidnappers’ camp through drone surveillance but could not immediately access the area after discovering that it had reportedly been mined with improvised explosive devices. Additional operational assets, including bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers, were subsequently deployed as security agencies intensified efforts to reach the victims. Police had earlier confirmed the rescue of 10 victims, while operations continued to locate the remaining abductees. The Force Public Relations Officer, Ani Iniedu, said security agencies were still working to apprehend those responsible for the abduction. Details of the rescue operation, including whether any arrests were made or ransom was paid, have not been disclosed. The abduction had caused concern among the victims’ families following reports that the kidnappers demanded ₦50 million for each victim. Uzodimma Commends Security Agencies Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma commended the security agencies for securing the release of the 20 corps members. Uzodimma also praised the collaboration between the Imo and Oyo State governments, saying the discreet handling of the operation was necessary because it involved the safety of human lives. The governor thanked the parents of the victims for their patience during the ordeal and commended the security agencies for their coordinated efforts. The development brings the ordeal of the abducted corps members and the other victim to an end, with all 21 now receiving medical attention in Owerri.