Some health stakeholders have said that Nigeria’s Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs), which serve as the backbone of the country’s healthcare system, are in dire need of revitalisation.

The stakeholder said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja, (more…)

Troops of the Nigerian army have apprehended no fewer than 15 persons over suspected oil theft and illegal oil bunkering activities in the Niger Delta.

Lt.-Col. Danjuma Danjuma, the Spokesman, Nigerian Army, 6 Division, Port Harcourt, said in a statement on Monday that the operations were carried out in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers recently.

Danjuma said that the army apprehended 15 persons, dismantled 32 artisanal refineries and seized 14 boats during operations.

He further said that during the operations, conducted between Jan. 6 and 12, the troops confiscated no fewer than 60,000 litres of various petroleum products

The spokesman said that the operations were part of a broader collaborative effort with other security agencies to combat oil theft in the Niger Delta region.

Danjuma said that the raid commenced in Bille, Degema Local Government Area, and Rivers, where soldiers dismantled seven illegal refining sites, confiscated 20,000 litres of crude oil, and destroyed two boats.

“We also deactivated ten illegal refineries, several crude oil cooking pots, and receivers, and recovered about 19,000 litres of stolen petroleum products along the Imo River.

“In Odagwa, Etche, our troops intercepted three boats carrying about 12,000 litres of stolen crude oil and arrested three suspects in the process.

“Similar operations were carried out in Abiama, Asa, Obuzor, Okoloma, Ozaa, Ukwa, and Oyigbo” he added.

He stated that the soldiers advanced to Nkisa in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers, where they confiscated 1,600 litres of crude oil and 1,200 litres adulterated diesel.

Danjuma said that along Ndoni Road, the troops intercepted a Toyota van transporting an estimated 1,200 litres of stolen condensate.

The spokesman said that in Buguma, Asari-Toru, Rivers, the troops dismantled two illegal refineries, seized 1,500 litres of stolen crude oil, and apprehended five suspects.

“In Baberegbene, Southern Ijaw, Bayelsa, our soldiers dismantled an illegal artisanal refinery and intercepted a wooden boat carrying no fewer than 1,500 litres of stolen

“Similarly, an illegal refining site containing an unquantified quantity of stolen petroleum products was deactivated in Emago-Kugbo and Oluasiri communities in Nembe, Bayelsa.

“The operations continued in Akwa Ibom and Delta, where troops maintained a strong presence and effectively denied economic saboteurs the liberty to operate,” he said.

Washington, At least 24 people have died as major wildfires continue to ravage the Los Angeles area in the U.S. state of California, the city’s medical examiner said on Sunday.

No fewer than 16 of the fatalities are related to the Eaton Fire near Pasadena, and eight others to the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades district.

There have been several major fires in the region since Tuesday, but these two are the most severe.

Officials fear the death toll may continue to rise, since it may take days before emergency services can safely access all areas impacted by the fires.

Firefighters were preparing for gusts to pick up again in the coming days, exacerbating what officials say could be one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history.

The U.S. weather service forecast wind speeds of up to 110 kilometres per hour for Sunday, which, combined with dry vegetation, favours the rapid and unpredictable spread of both existing and new fires.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) warned of “critical fire weather” through to Wednesday.

“Life-threatening winds and dangerously low humidity are forecast for much of Southern California – from Ventura to San Diego – creating a significant risk of rapid fire spread,” the department wrote on X.

It warned the wind would increase fire activity and urged people to avoid mowing their lawns and parking their vehicles on dry grass and to ensure all campfires were extinguished.

According to Cal Fire officials, some 12,300 buildings have been destroyed or damaged. Since Tuesday, almost 163 square kilometres of land have gone up in flames – a space almost the size of Washington D.C.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, speaking to broadcaster NBC, said the wildfires would be the worst natural disaster in U.S. history, in terms of the “scale and scope,” as well as the costs it has caused.

Newsom went on to sign an executive order to temporarily suspend environmental regulations for destroyed homes and businesses.

“Just issued an Executive Order that will allow victims of the So Cal fires to not get caught up in bureaucratic red tape and quickly rebuild their homes,” he wrote on X.

According to a preliminary estimate by the private U.S weather service AccuWeather, the fires have caused more than $135 billion in damage.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was among the Hollywood actors living in and around areas impacted by the fires.

“Don’t worry about me, or my animals, and certainly not my house,” the film star and former governor of California said, asking fans to think instead of the “heroic firefighters.”

As the fires rage on, attention has increasingly turned to the people fighting them, among them several hundred prisoners being paid a maximum of $10 a day for gruelling work trying to contain the blaze.

Californian authorities say the prisoners have undergone several days of training and are working voluntarily on removing flammable material and creating so-called firebreaks or gaps in vegetation to stop the spread of fire.

They are given another $1 per hour for emergency work.

Each day spent working as a rescue worker shortens the prison sentence by two days.

Only inmates who are serving a prison sentence of a maximum of eight years and are not serving time for crimes such as rape or arson may be deployed as helpers.