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         The 344 boys who were kidnapped from Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State on Friday, 11 th  December, 2020, returned yesterday, Friday, 18 th  December, 2020, exactly one week after their abduction. Meanwhile the Nigerian Islamic human rights organization, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has given kudos to President Muhammadu Buhari for the successful rescue of the Kankara school boys.             MURIC gave the commendation in a press statement circulated to pressmen on Saturday, 19 th  December, 2020. The statement was signed by the group’s director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.     According to the statement,  “We received news of the return of the kidnapped Kankasa boys with immense joy. The successful rescue operation adds another feather to President Muhammadu Buhari’s hat. We note with every seriousness that the early return of the boys was...

  Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) has launched a new set of COVID-19 test kits that can produce results in 57 minutes. The new kits which are real-time polymerase chain reaction ( RT-qPCR ) for the detection of COVID-19, was designed by Joseph Shaibu, a molecular virologist at NIMR. Professor Babatunde Salako, director general of the institute, unveiled the new kits during the ongoing NIMR retreat in Lagos. He said the new products were specifically designed for PCR laboratories across the country. “We decided to come up with this rt-qPCR testing kits that will work with the conventional PCR laboratories we have across the country,” he said. “Unlike the SIMA test kits earlier produced by the institute which work with only isothermal machine. The Isothermal machine which can be moved around as a point of care is not readily available now for purchase so we decided to come up with this.” Shaibu, who designed the product, said it is 80 percent cheaper than the ones curre...

      The United States recently accused Nigeria of violating religious rights. Consequently, it placed the country on religious freedom blacklist. The Christian Association of Nigeria has backed the US claim of religious persecution. Although the Federal Government (FG) has denied the allegation, the Nigerian Islamic human rights body, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has waded into the controversy.   In a statement issued on Monday, 14 th  December, 2020 by its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, MURIC described President Trump as a man who is too eager to swallow any lie against any Muslim leader because of his gymnastic pursuit of a Christian crusade. The group argued that contrary to the claim that Christians are being persecuted in the country, it is actually the Muslims who are at the receiving end of religious discrimination.   The statement reads:   “We are nonplussed by the recent allegation of violation of religious rights made by the Unit...

  Oladipo Ogunbode, assistant director, department of prevention programmes and management, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), says it is surprising that health workers still doubt the existence of COVID-19. According to NAN, Ogunbode stated this on Thursday in Abuja while speaking at a conference to mark the 2020 health week, themed: “Outbreak of Disease in Nigeria: Are We Ready?” Ogunbode said it is hard to understand how health workers who had come in contact with victims of COVID-19 in the line of duty, still doubted the existence of the virus. “Health workers should create awareness on COVID-19, but many of them still doubt its existence. We must work hard to remove such doubt,” he said. “It’s amazing and inexplicable for medics to doubt the fact that the pandemic was a reality. To handle the doubt, there is the need to increase the level of awareness on the virus. “As health workers, there is no one of us that does not know at least one person that has not been confir...

          Following reports worldwide indicating a second coming of the dreaded Corona virus, the Nigerian Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria (FG) to restrict international flights immediately.     This was contained in a press statement issued by the director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Thursday, 3 rd  December, 2020.     The statement reads:   “The second coming of COVID-19 is definitely more severe. According to Wikipedia, the deadly virus has killed 1.49 million people globally. 64.2 million have been infected while 41.2 million have recovered from the pandemic. As at yesterday, Wednesday, 2 nd  December, 2020, the United States topped the list of the toll with 279,049 deaths and 14.2 million cases. At least 200,000 people are infected daily in the US while daily new deaths are close to 3,000. Brazil has lost 17...

  The Senate of the University of Ibadan (UI) has elected Professor Adebola Ekanola as the Acting Vice Chancellor of the University. Ekanola, the current Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic, is from the Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts. Ekanola is to take over from the outgoing Vice Chancellor, Professor Abel Idowu Olayinka, whose tenure ends today, November 30, 2020. At the start of the Special Senate meeting, having ruled out the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic, Professor Adebola Ekanola from presiding, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnership), Professor Olanike Adeyemo was unanimously agreed to preside. Also, the House went against a sole candidature for the position, thereby resolving that candidates should be nominated for the position, out of which an Acting VC will emerge. The meeting was later presided over by the Provost, College of  Medicine, Prof. Olayinka Omigbodun when Adeyemo was nominated.. The Senate members, therefore,...

The Governing Council of the University of Ibadan will make a decision on the appointment of an acting Vice-Chancellor on Monday, this blog  exclusively gathered. Recall that this blog  had last week reported that the institution may get an acting VC as the crisis rocking the process continued to fester . On Tuesday, the Education Minister Adamu Adamu ordered that the process for the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor should start afresh. While there were “hurried moves” on Wednesday to restart the process, it was unsuccessful as four council members staged a walk-out and over fifty percent of senate members boycotted it. Speaking with newsmen over the phone on Thursday, the council chairman, Mr. Waklek denied allegations that he is conspiring to impose a certain aspirant. “The allegations are not true. But you know when people are not happy with something they can say anything. The issue has been such that I wouldn’t want to talk to the press now. If you wouldn’t mind, you wo...