No fewer than 37 deaths have been recorded in the current Cholera outbreak, which has hit 30 states, including Lagos and Ogun.

The Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, in a statement on Thursday by the Director of Public Affairs in the state Ministry of Health, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, said the state had recorded an additional six cholera deaths as against the previous 15.

She said cholera cases had risen to 401 in the state.

On her part, the Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, said that the state had recorded one death and 14 cases.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, in its recent report, said from January 1 to June 11, 2024, over 1,141 suspected and over 65 confirmed cases of cholera, resulting in over 30 deaths, had been reported from 96 local government areas in 30 states.

With the six additional deaths in Lagos, and one death in Ogun, the fatalities are no fewer than 37.

On Tuesday, the World Health Organisation, the United Nations Children’s Fund, and the International Organisation for Migration held an emergency meeting in Lagos over the cholera outbreak in the country.

Cholera is a food and water-borne disease caused by ingesting the bacteria— Vibrio cholerae— in contaminated water and food. Cholera can cause severe acute watery diarrhoea, and the severe forms of the disease can kill within hours if left untreated.

In Nigeria, cholera is an endemic and seasonal disease, occurring annually mostly during the rainy season and more frequently in areas with poor sanitation.

Giving the situation report in Lagos on Thursday, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Ogunyemi, stated that Lagos Island remained the epicentre of the outbreak.

The special adviser, who stated this in the statement by the Director of Public Affairs in the state Ministry of Health, Ogunbanwo, recalled in the last update, that the state recorded 350 cases and 15 deaths.

The statement partly read, “Following the last update on the cholera outbreak in Lagos, which reported 350 suspected cases and 15 fatalities, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, disclosed that the total number of cholera cases has increased to 401 across Lagos, with Lagos Island, Kosofe, and Eti Osa recording the highest numbers.

“Dr Ogunyemi revealed this today while providing an update on the outbreak after meeting with members of the Lagos State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre. She added that the death toll had also risen to 21, an increase of six from the previously reported 15 fatalities.”

According to Ogunyemi, the rise in cases was anticipated following the Sallah festivities, during which large gatherings occurred.

She, however, noted that suspected cases were subsiding across local government areas, particularly in previously affected LGAs due to the state government’s interventions and surveillance efforts.

The Special Adviser stated that the government, through the Ministry of Health and other sister agencies, was maintaining rigorous surveillance and monitoring of the situation and implementing planned programmes and activities to curb the spread.

She advised that citizens seek medical attention immediately if they experience symptoms such as watery diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain, general malaise, and fever, stressing that cholera treatment is provided free of charge at all public health facilities

In Ogun State, a 62-year-old woman in Ijebu-Igbo has died of cholera.

It was gathered that the outbreak which occurred three days ago, also left five other persons hospitalised.

The deceased, it was gathered contracted the disease from her son who is now among those hospitalised.

The state commissioner for Health, Coker confirmed the incident to one of our correspondents on Thursday.

Coker said 14 cases of cholera had been reported from four local government areas; Ota, Abeokuta South, Obafemi Owode and Ijebu North.

According to her, five other persons had also been hospitalised.

She stated, “A 62-year-old lady who contracted cholera from her sick son died in Ijebu Igbo. Five others have also been hospitalised across four local government areas of Ota, Abeokuta South, Obafemi Owode, and Ijebu North

“The cumulative total cases since last week are 14 with one fatality”, Coker said.

She urged residents of the state to maintain good hygiene and avoid drinking water from unknown sources.

“I want to call on Ogun people to keep calm and be on the alert for anyone with the symptoms of cholera. They should report any suspected case of cholera to our disease surveillance team”, Coker said.

Femi Otedola, billionaire businessman and chairman of FBN Holdings, has regained his position as the majority shareholder of First Bank.

According to corporate filings on the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) on Thursday, Otedola now owns 9.41 percent shares in the bank.

This became possible after he purchased the group’s shares valued at N18.9 billion.

According to the corporate filings, the billionaire paid N21.91 per share or N6.935 billion for 316,506,776 shares.

He then bought an additional 546,674,034 shares through Calvados Global Services Limited, his holding company, for N21.97 per share — totalling N12.01 billion.

With this, the number of shares recently acquired totalled 863,180,810.

The fresh acquisition has increased Otedola’s shares (direct and indirect) in FBN Holdings to 3,380,462,950 — from 2,517,282,140 shares.

This means the businessman is now the highest shareholder in the company, overtaking Barbican Capital Limited, owned by Oba Otudeko, which has 3,110,400,619 direct shares.

In January, FBN Holdings appointed Otedola as the chairman of its board of directors.

The appointment came two years after the investor became the firm’s single largest shareholder in December 2021, when he increased his stake to 7.57 percent.

A month after the appointment, FBN Holdings named Barbican Capital Limited as its majority shareholder — making Otedola the second major shareholder at the time.

1. President Bola Tinubu returned to Abuja on Thursday evening from Johannesburg, South Africa, where he joined other African leaders to witness the inauguration of President Cyril Ramaphosa for a second term of office. President Tinubu, who arrived Abuja around 5:30 pm, departed Lagos where he had been since last Friday for the Eid-el-Kabir festivities.

2. A mechanic identified as Yellow Bobo has been allegedly stabbed to death by a soldier during an argument in Kugbo mechanic village along the Keffi-Abuja road, Abuja. The soldier reportedly fled the scene after the incident.

3. A Federal High Court sitting in Kano has nullified the reinstatement of Muhammadu Sanusi II as the 16th Emir of Kano. The court presided by Justice Abdullahi Muhammad Liman nullified all the actions taken after the reinstatement.

4. No fewer than 37 deaths have been recorded in the current Cholera outbreak, which has hit 30 states, including Lagos and Ogun. In a statement on Thursday by the Director of Public Affairs in the state Ministry of Health, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, he said the state had recorded an additional six cholera deaths as against the previous 15.

5. The Federal Government has begun the proposed audit of the N2.7tn fuel subsidy claim by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited. The government said it had approved the engagement of the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation to verify the claims made by the corporation regarding the amount the government owes the oil firm.

6. The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun on Thursday said his men would continue to barricade all local government secretariats in Rivers State amid the ongoing political tension. He also said the recent controversy surrounding the recruitment of police constables is really appalling, as he highlighted the rigorous standards expected of officers.

7. A pregnant woman simply identified as Mrs Ogunbunmi has reportedly been kidnapped by unidentified armed men in Ogun State. Mrs Ogunbunmi, who was said to be due for delivery, reportedly left her home in Oke Lantoro for the State General Hospital, Ijaiye, Abeokuta before her reported abduction on a date not disclosed.

8. The Nasarawa State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency says it has seized a total of 7,149 Kilograms of hard drugs between July 2023 and June 2024. The State Commander of the NDLEA, Peter Onche-Odaudu, disclosed this to newsmen on Thursday during a press briefing as part of week-long activities to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Lafia.

9. The police in Ekiti say they have commenced an investigation into the murder of a Point of Sale agent identified as Alfa by yet-to-be-identified gunmen. The assailants also shot dead a wheelbarrow pusher hawking rice at the Oja Bisi area of the state capital on the same day.

10. The Kano State government has said the ruling delivered by a Federal High Court presided over by Justice Abdullahi Muhammad Liman, earlier on Thursday, shows Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II is still the Emir of Kano. The State Attorney General and Commissioner for justice, Barrister Haruna Isah Dederi, said this during a press conference held at the Government House Thursday evening.