KOLANUT CAN CURE EBOLA-PROF. MAURICEWU

A plant has been found to halt the deadly Ebola virus in its tracks in laboratory tests, scientists have said.

They used a compound from Garcinia kola, a plant commonly eaten in West Africa. Compounds from the plant have also proved effective against some strains of flu.

If the anti-Ebola compound proves successful in animal and human trials, it will be the first medicine to successfully treat the virus that causes Ebola haemorrhagic fever – an often-fatal condition.

The discovery was announced at the 16th International Botanical Congress in St Louis in the US.

Four deaths per five cases

The Ebola virus was first documented in 1976 after an outbreak in Zaire – now the Democratic Republic of the Congo – where 88 per cent of the 318 human cases died.

More recently, a 1995 outbreak in the same country had a death rate of 81% of the 315 infected.

There are four types of the virus – Ebola-Zaire, Ebola-Sudan and Ebola-Ivory Coast all affect humans, while Ebola-Reston has so far only affected monkeys and chimpanzees.

However, doctors have been unable to stop the virus once infection has taken hold – hence the disease has gained a terrifying reputation.

Traditional origins

Dr. Maurice Iwu, who set up and heads the Bioresources Development and Conservation Programme, led the research.

It started 10 years ago when researchers were led to the plant by traditional native healers who have used the plant for the treatment of infectious diseases for centuries.

“This is a very exciting discovery,” said Dr. Iwu, who himself comes originally from a family of traditional healers.

“The same forest that yields the dreaded Ebola virus could be a source of the cure.”

Fighting chance

The virus multiplies rapidly in the human body and quickly overwhelms it, and in advanced cases the patient develops high fever and severe bleeding.

The Garcinia kola compound has been shown to halt multiplication of the virus in the laboratory. If repeated in humans, this would give the body a chance to fight off the virus.

The active compound is what is known as a dimeric flavonoid, which is two flavonoid molecules fused together.

Flavonoids are non-toxic and can be found in orange and lemon rinds as well as the colourings of other plants.

Drug hopes

The tests are in the early stages still, but the researchers hope that if they continue to prove successful the compound the US Food and Drug Administration will put it on a fast track – making a drug available to humans within a matter of years.

“The discovery of these important properties in a simple compound – flavonoids – was very surprising,” said Dr. Iwu.

“The structure of this compound lends itself to modification, so it provides a template for future work.

“Even if this particular drug does not succeed through the whole drug approval process, we can use it to construct a new drug for this deadly disease.”

.This article was first published by the British Broadcasting Corporation on August 5, 1999 when Prof. Maurice Iwu was still Dr. Maurice Iwu. Prof. Iwu was a former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission. He has since returned to his first love of researching after his service at INEC.

POLICE ARREST KILLER OF LAGOS BUSINESS WOMAN COTE D IVORE

                                                                    LATE LIZZY
                                                         

On Monday 21^st July 2014, The Nigeria Police Area ‘E Command Festac responded to an emergency call at Amuwo Odofin involving the murder of Mrs. Njideka Lizzy – a divorcee and mother of 4. Once on scene, officers say they found the strangulated body of the victim lying lifelessly in her apartment. The remain of Mrs. Njideka Lizzy was immediately deposited at the nearest morgue while the Nigeria police Festac embarked on an intensive investigation and manhunt for her killer.

The gatekeeper at the deceased residence, who is also the prime witness, told the police that the suspect was not just a familiar and 

regular visitor but also considered a  family friend. Hence, he never suspected anything as he opened the gate for the 33-year-old Kelechi Eze who hurriedly drove off in the deceased Range Rover SUV jeep at about 2:30am.

Information gathered by the Festac Police has it that the prime suspect, Mr. Kelechi Eze who was formally based in South Africa hails from Umuorji in Anambra State, and speaks multiple languages fluently including French. Preliminary investigation reported that the murder suspect was a hatchet man and serial killer who was compelled to relocate from South Africa to Ghana after being declared wanted by the South African security authority for grave atrocities.

The deceased family members reported that Mr. Kelechi Eze had been having a consummated relationship with late Mrs. Njideka Lizzy, which accounted for his incessant trips from Ghana to Nigeria. But the relationship turned sour when the suspect - Mr. kelechi Eze proposed marriage to late Mrs. Njideka Lizzy was turned down by the deceased and family members due to some undisclosed reasons.

It is believed that the disparagement of Mr. Kelechi’s marriage proposal by late Mrs. Njideka Lizzy took him aback; hence his sinister agenda to get even by hook or by crook.

The late Mrs. Njideka Lizzy family members further reported that the murder suspect not only snuffed life out of his unsuspecting victim who until death was a manager of Edmark International but also made away with her Range Rover SUV jeep, over $50,000 dollars, valuables worth over N8 million naira and the decease mobile phones and ATM cards amongst others.

The hatchet man and serial killer- Mr Kelechi Eze who at the execution of his sinister agenda at Amuwo Odofin Festac immediately fled Nigeria for Ghana and from Ghana to Côte d'Ivoire was yesterday Tuesday, 29^th July 2014 taken into custody by the Côte d'Ivoire security force following an orchestrated forensic auditing investigation, networked tracking and extensive surveillance masterminded by the acclaimed ACP Dan Nkem Okoro and his DPO - Area ‘E Command, Nigeria Police Festac.

In a press conference in Ghana, the IGP of the Ghana Police Service - Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan, and the Côte d'Ivoire security force commended ACP Dan Okoro of the Nigeria Police Force Area ‘E command for his flawless forensic prowess and disposition in solving crimes and concerted efforts to ensuring that criminals have no hiding place in Africa and beyond.

He further asserted that the murder suspect- Mr. Kelechi Eze who has been handed to the Ghanaian Security Force by the Côte d'Ivoire National Security Force shall in turn be processed and securely transported to Nigeria for further prosecution and execution.

On receiving the news of the apprehension of the dreaded serial killer, the entire residents of Amuwo Odofin, especially the immediate families, friends and colleagues of late Mrs. Njideka Lizzy applauded ACP Dan Nkem Okoro (Area ‘E Commander) and the Festac Police force for their ingenuity and responsiveness over the arrest of Mr. Kelechi Eze within one week of the incidence. And in the same vein thanked the IGP of the Nigeria Police for his God-discerned decision in posting such officers to Amuwo Odofin local government area.

LAGBAJA CRIES OUT,MY LIFE AND FAMILY IN DANGER

Days after the masked one, Lagbaja rejected the offer to perform at the grand finale of the Osun PDP Governorship election campaign to be held at Osogbo which will also be used to host the President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, associate of the Obafemi Awolowo University garduate turned musician has cried out that their musical shrine, "Motherland" has received too many august visitors in the last one week from the Department of State Security Service (SSS) and Armed Mobile Policemen on the instructions from order from above, they have continuously lay siege for Lagbaja and after a futile attempt to get him, has resorted to harassment and molestation of staffers of his company. 

Revealed!

Femi Adebayo's  new love,Gbemi

If the recent instagram post of Medical student cum Actress Gbemi is anything to go by, then Popular and controversial Yoruba actor, Femi Adebayo may be in love again. Recently the Instagram timeline of the upcoming actress cum personal assistant to Iyabo Ojo is filled with pictures of Gbemi and Femi in a public display of Affection (PDA ).. Based on this posts ,Ymeblogger can authoritatively revealed  that Femi is having a thing with Under graduate who is due to graduate this year. On her Instagram handle Gbeminiyi Valentynoh posted pictures of both of them with captions that easily suggest their romance. Such messages include " Evergreen lovey tinz.... No conspiracy can disrupt it." Information reaching us hints that both are an item but Femi is keeping it under wraps contrary to Gbeminiyi who seems to be carried away.

An Industry source hints that she doubts if the lawyer trained actor and father of three is serious with her because he's known to be a serial lover who targets well to do ladies.

We're watching as more drama unfolds between the two love birds.

EBOLA MAN WHO DIED IN LAGOS CAME IN CONTACT WITH 59 PEOPLE 

-No Cause For Alarm- Lagos Health Commissioner
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, on Monday said 59 people in the state came in contact with the 40-year-old Liberian who died of Ebola virus in Lagos.
Idris, who made this known in   Ikeja, explained that the number consisted of 44 health care workers and 15 others at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.


'So far,59 contacts have been registered, consisting 44 hospital contacts (38 health care workers and six laboratory staff) and 15 airport contacts. The 15 airport contacts comprise three ECOWAS staff-driver, Liaison, and Protocol Officer, Nigerian Ambassador to Monrovia, two nursing staff and five airport passenger handlers.

'As of the time of this report, 20 contacts had been physically screened of which 50 per cent had type one contact and 50 per cent had had type two contact.
'Airline manifest has not been provided by the airline and therefore the precise number of passenger contacts has yet to be ascertained, especially as two flights were involved (Monrovia-Lome and Lome-Lagos). There was no report of medical incident and the General Declaration report of the flight,' he stated.



The commissioner assured that nobody in the country had been infected with the virus, as he advised Nigerians not to panic.
'We can categorically state that as of today, we have only one case of imported Ebola and death. No Nigerian is infected, but all contacts are being actively followed.
'We call on all Nigerians to be calm and not panic. We assure them that both the state and the Federal Government are up in arms to ensure that the virus did not escape and that no Nigeria is infected with this virus.


'The National Centre for Disease Control of the Federal Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation established an Incident Command Centre that coordinates the Rapid Response Team activities on the field.


Five working groups were established, namely:
 (i) Contact tracing, Surveillance & Laboratory

(ii) Health education/Social mobilisation

(iii) Case management and infection prevention/control

(iv) Logistics (v) Data management.

'An Emergency Operations centre was also activated at the conference room of Central Public Health Laboratory in Yaba, Lagos, which also serves as the secretariat. WHO provided technical support and action plan was developed. The Port Health Services of the FMOH, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Aviation has put in motion mechanisms to track down all contacts at high risk.
'An isolation ward has been designated by the Lagos State Ministry of Health at the Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba for case management.


The designation of three other health facilities is underway,' Idris said.
The commissioner, who said that the government was decontaminating the First Consultants Hospital in Obalende where the Liberian was taken to during his illness, added that his body was decontaminated and cremated.

'Adhering strictly to WHO guidelines, the body of the deceased patient was decontaminated using 10 per cent sodium hypochlorite and cremated, with the permission of the government of Liberia.

 A cremation has been prepared for dispatch to the family. The vehicle that conveyed the remains was also fully decontaminated,' Idris said.
In the same vein, the Special Adviser to Governor Babatunde Fashola on Health, Dr. Yewande Adesina, said Ebola illness initially gives symptom of malaria and difficulty in eating.
'After these, the patient could be vomiting and stooling as if he has  diarrh0ea. Later, blood would be coming out from the eyes, ears, nose, anus and private parts.
'So if we are taking care of a patient that we believe has malaria, we should always wash our hands with water and soap. Once we recognise the symptom of Ebola illness, we should alert the team set up by the government and also monitor update through the media. 'Now, we advise that charms and prayers cannot stop the virus,' she said

OMISORE’S LOYALIST LEAD THOUSANDS OF PDP SUPPORTERS TO JOIN APC

Thousands of supporters of the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore, led by a former Chairman of Ife South Local Government Area, Hon. Diran Ayanbekun, on Tuesday decamped to the All Progressives Congress at a colourful programme in Ifetedo.

This was just as the Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, said his second coming to office will mark the end of lack of basic infrastructure in the state.

Aregbesola assured the people that his administration will build more roads and other social amenities in Ife-South Local Government Area.

In his words: “We thank you for your support always and we thank God that we have not disappointed you.

“We have been to the palace and we have noted all what the Kabiyesi said.

“Our second term can only be better because by the time we would have finished our second term in office, Osun will not lack any social amenity and it will be a place of pride among the committee of states in Nigeria.”

There are 42 major settlements and hundreds of hamlets in Ife South Local Government Area.

Created out of the old Oranyiyan Local Government Area, the council is delineated into 11 wards.

Ayanbekun, a former Chairman of Osun State House of Assembly Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, noted that he and his supporters decided to join the APC because of the giant strides of Aregbesola in the state.

He held that having studied goings on in the state and love for the development of the state, he decided to join the APC as the opposition candidate and his former party have nothing superior to offer the state.

Earlier, the Olubosin of Ifetedoland, Oba Ilori Olowosoke, who spoke through the National President of Ifetedo Progressive Union, Prince Bisi Adeshingbin‎, commended the governor for the infrastructural development in the area.

Adeshingbin added that the area needed more representation of Ifetedoland children in the cabinet during the second term of the governor.

He charged the governor not to relent in his oars and that his second coming to office must be better than that of the first term, saying the people of the area are behind the governor for the good work to continue.

He said: “We are happy with what you are doing in our area and the state at large.

“We pray that you will not relent in the good work you have started when you come to office.

“We will continue to pray for you because what you are doing is visible, but like Oliver twist, we will like you to do more for Ifetedo people to be part of your cabinet.”

THE SOUTHWEST IS NOW SUFFERING FROM POLITICAL EBOLA …PIUS ADESANMI

I am starting to think that the southwest is suffering from political ebola. Thought I'd check in on Nigeriana this morning. I should have continued my rest jeje. You scan the newspapers and one ebola presence after another in the media drives home the reality of an emergent but scary and ruinous face of public opinion and leadership in that corner of Nigeria. If Alao Akala is not "fielding questions from journalists", Ayo Fayose is "baring his mind on issues"; if Buruji Kashamu is not "weighing in on recent developments", Senator Iyiola Omisore is being candid "in a media chat"; if Femi Fani Kayode is not "speaking with journalists in Osogbo", Bode George is "interacting with journalists in his Lagos home". I did joro jara joro from newspaper to newspaper, encountering ebola character after ebola character.

It is not just that these guys have somehow become the go-to "opinion leaders" for the media, it is that they project an arrogant, - no, make that confident - attitude which says, "we are the new owners of this corner of Nigeria". I fear for the political complexion of the southwest after 2015. At this rate, we may need hearing aid to hear the opinion of Wole Soyinka and Tunde Bakare on important issues because the media appears to be interested only in megaphoning even the cough and the fart of the new ebola political leadership of the region.

ANOTHER NIGERIAN TESTED FOR EBOLA

The unnamed man had arrived back in Britain from Nigeria via Paris. It comes after it was revealed an American with Ebola was allowed on two flights while infected

A man has been tested for Ebola in the UK - increasing fears over the threat posed to Britain from the deadly disease.

He was tested at a hospital in Birmingham after arriving back in the UK from Nigeria via Paris.

Fortunately the man was given the all-clear after tests, the Daily Mail reports, but the scare has sharpened focus on the possible spread of the virus to Britain.

Meanwhile, doctors fear Ebola victim Patrick Sawyer may have sparked a worldwide spread of the killer disease after being allowed on two flights while infected.

And tonight a desperate race was on to find dozens of passengers who flew on the same jets as the 40-year-old American.

British doctors and border officials have been warned to be on the lookout for people in the UK showing signs of the disease.

Mr Sawyer was allowed to board an ASKY Airlines flight in Liberia, where Ebola is rife, despite vomiting and suffering from ­diarrhoea. His sister was recently killed by the virus.

He had a stopover in Ghana then changed planes in Togo and flew to the international travel hub of Lagos in Nigeria. The dad-of-three died five days after arriving in the city.

Lancaster University virologist Derek ­Gatherer said passengers, crew and airport ground staff who came into contact with Mr Sawyer could be in “pretty serious danger”. Ebola is fatal in 90% of cases.

Doctors have identified 59 people who were near him and have tested 20. But they are struggling to find the others, who could have flown to anywhere in the world from Lagos.

There were today questions over how Liberian government worker Mr Sawyer was let on flights while clearly showing symptoms of Ebola – which has killed 672 people in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone since it broke out in February.

Experts from Public Health England have met UK Border Agency officials to make sure staff are aware of the signs to look for in Ebola sufferers.

PHE has also used its national medical alert system to advise all UK doctors to “remain vigilant for unexplained illness in those who have visited the affected area”.

Symptoms include vomiting and ­diarrhoea, fever, weakness, headache and sore throat.

Those struck down can also suffer internal and external bleeding. The virus is spread through human contact. There is no cure.

PHE director of global health Dr Brian McCloskey described the Ebola outbreak as the most “acute emergency” facing Britain.

The expert said he had briefed David Cameron.

He added: “When these things start to escalate we work with everybody to ensure they are aware of what needs to happen.”