Author: Press Room

Lagos State Health Insurance Scheme, popularly known as Ilera Eko, was launched in 2018 by the state government to provide universal health coverage for all residents, reduce high out-of-pocket medical expenses, and provide access to quality and affordable healthcare. Findings, however, showed that many residents who enrolled in the scheme are still battling with catastrophic medical bills and out-of-pocket payments at the state-owned hospitals. SODIQ OJUROUNGBE reports Bosun Aderinoku sat quietly at the entrance of the maternity ward of Gbagada General Hospital, his eyes heavy with fatigue and disappointment. Every few seconds, he let out a hiss. In his hand…

Super Eagles striker Sadiq Umar has stated that his major target this season is to get more minutes and score more goals for Real Sociedad, Soccernet.ng reports. Sadiq has had a slow start to the season, especially after he tried to push for an exit in the summer. The 28-year-old striker did not partake in pre-season and missed the Txuri-Urdin’s first five games of the campaign. Matteo Darmian and Umar Sadiq during the 6th day of the UEFA Champions League Group D between F.C. Internazionale Milano vs Real Sociedad De Futbol on 12 December 2023 at the San Siro Stadium…

The Kebbi Police Command has confirmed the abduction of the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Muhammad Sama’ila-Bagudo, by suspected bandits in Bagudo Local Government Area of the state. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), CSP Nafi’u Abubakar, made the disclosure in a statement issued in Birnin Kebbi on Saturday. Abubakar said the incident occurred on Friday night at about 8:20 p.m., when a gang of armed men stormed Bagudo town and kidnapped the lawmaker shortly after observing Isha’i prayer on his way home. He said that the command had since deployed a combined team of police tactical…

American fast-food chain Steak ‘n Shake has launched a Bitcoin treasury, pledging to store all BTC payments received across its restaurants in a dedicated strategic reserve. Key Takeaways: Steak ‘n Shake has launched a Bitcoin treasury, pledging to store all BTC payments from restaurant sales in a strategic reserve. For every “Bitcoin Meal” sold, the company will donate 210 sats to OpenSats, supporting Bitcoin Core and open-source development. The chain credits Bitcoin users for driving double-digit sales growth and cutting payment processing fees by roughly 50%. The announcement, made on Friday on X, was met with strong approval from the…

Janet Ogundepo Nigeria’s weak law enforcement and slow adoption process are fuelling illegal baby sales and the proliferation of baby factories, legal experts and social workers have said. They further noted that the lack of government regulation and enforcement in Nigeria’s social work sector is encouraging unprofessional practices, corruption, and illegal activities, including unlawful adoptions and baby sales in children’s and orphanage homes. Last week, PUNCH Healthwise reported that operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons rescued about 26 trafficked children from an orphanage home in Benue State and arrested four operators for allegedly selling…

Super Eagles and Fulham attacking midfielder Alex Iwobi has revealed the impact his faith has had on his football career, Soccernet.ng reports. The 29-year-old recently hit the 300-game milestone in the English Premier League in Fulham’s loss to Newcastle United last week, becoming the first Nigerian to reach such a milestone. The former Everton man was honoured at the recent Best of Africa Awards in London with the Baobab Award in Sport for inspiring millions beyond his performances on the pitch. Alex Iwobi is chased down by Joelinton during the Newcastle United v Fulham Premier League match at St. James…

Nigerian strikers Victor Osimhen and Paul Onuachu will go head-to-head tonight as Galatasaray and Trabzonspor meet in a top-of-the-table Turkish Super Lig clash at RAMS Park in Istanbul, Soccernet.ng reports. The match has been billed as one of the most anticipated fixtures of the season, not only because of its impact on the title race, but also due to the presence of the two in-form Super Eagles forwards. Galatasaray currently sit top of the table with 28 points, having won nine of their opening ten games. Victor Osimhen of Galatasaray and Nigeria’s Super Eagles. Photo by Seskimphoto/IMAGO Trabzonspor, rejuvenated under…

A fresh invasion by bandits has unsettled several communities in Shanono and Tsanyawa Local Government Areas of Kano State, leaving three innocent villagers killed. The emerging security threat follows a series of bandit incursions from Katsina State, unleashing untold terror on Kano communities sharing borders with the neighbouring state. A resident of Tsanyawa Local Government Area, who preferred to remain anonymous, told The Guardian that the attack occurred on Friday evening when about 20 bandits invaded Yanganau village in Tsanyawa area of Kano. The source said the bandits, who crossed over from the Kogari village of Katsina, later moved to…

Crypto exchange MEXC has issued a public apology after freezing $3 million belonging to a well-known trader known as The White Whale, admitting it mishandled the case and releasing the funds following months of public backlash. Key Takeaways: MEXC apologized after wrongfully freezing $3 million from trader “The White Whale.” The issue gained attention after on-chain investigator ZachXBT intervened, prompting MEXC’s leadership to issue a public statement. MEXC plans to launch a “fast-track channel” for dispute resolution as it works to fix transparency and operational issues. The incident began in July, when MEXC froze the trader’s account, claiming he violated…

Agency The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has called for stronger community-based surveillance, improved vaccination coverage, and sustained cross-border collaboration to curb the spread of ongoing disease outbreaks across the continent. The Incident Manager for Health Emergencies at the Africa CDC, Prof Yap Boum, made the call on Friday during the agency’s weekly news conference, which reviewed the epidemiological situation of Mpox, cholera, Ebola, Rift Valley fever, malaria, and other priority diseases across Africa. Boum said that while significant progress had been made, with the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo nearing its 42-day countdown…