By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Vice Principal of Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, Paul Namaske, has narrated how military intervention helped victims escape after terrorists attacked the community during NECO examinations.

Namaske spoke in a short video released on Monday after he and several students were rescued by troops of Operation Hadin Kai.

According to him, the attackers abducted teachers and students before taking them into the bush. He said the situation changed after a military aircraft arrived at the area.

“Today, being June 29, the terrorists took us into the bush. When a military aircraft started hovering over us, the insurgents started dispersing. While this was happening, we heard gunshots from the soldiers, so they (the terrorists) began to run while we started escaping. In the process, the soldiers rescued us,” he said.

The vice principal explained that two teachers and more than 20 students were among those abducted during the attack on candidates writing the National Examinations Council examination.

“We are two teachers and about 20-something students. I cannot give the precise number, but at one point during the movement, when they (the insurgents) gathered us in one place, I was able to make a rough estimate. They were about 20 students and two teachers,” he added.

Earlier, the Nigerian Army confirmed the rescue of 10 abducted victims, including students and teachers.

The Acting Military Information Officer of the North-East Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, Capt. Muhammed Goni, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday.

He said troops launched a coordinated rescue operation shortly after receiving reports of the attack.

“Troops of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) have successfully rescued 10 National Examinations Council (NECO) candidates and teachers abducted during an ISWAP attack on Lassa Community in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State,” the statement said.

“Immediately upon receipt of the report of the incident, the Theatre Command scrambled both strike and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft from the Air Component of OPHK to support troops mobilised to the area for a coordinated search-and-rescue operation.”

Goni said troops, with support from military aircraft, intercepted the abductors around the Daggu area, which led to a gun battle and the rescue of some victims.

“The troops, with support from the air platforms overhead providing guidance, made contact around Daggu and, after the firefight, the operation has so far resulted in the successful rescue of 10 victims, who were unhurt and are currently receiving the necessary care and support, while efforts remain ongoing to rescue the remaining victims and bring the perpetrators to justice,” he added.

The military spokesperson also stated that troops recovered seven motorcycles from the fleeing terrorists after overpowering them during the operation.

He, however, confirmed casualties among security personnel.

“Regrettably, during the intense firefight, one gallant soldier of OPHK and a member of the Civilian Joint Task Force paid the supreme sacrifice in the exchange of fire with the terrorists,” he said.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

The Nigerian military has rescued 10 students and teachers who were abducted by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists during an attack on a secondary school in Borno State.

According to a statement released by the acting spokesperson for Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Mohammed Goni, the incident occurred around 9:00 a.m. on Monday when militants stormed Lassa Technical Secondary School in Askira/Uba Local Government Area, where students were sitting for their NECO senior secondary examinations.

The statement said troops were immediately deployed alongside air support to conduct a rescue operation. Following an exchange of fire with the terrorists in the Daggu area, the military successfully rescued 10 individuals unharmed.

“Efforts are still ongoing to rescue the remaining one person, as well as to apprehend the perpetrators of the attack and bring them to justice,” the statement read.

The military reported that during the confrontation, several terrorists were neutralized and seven motorcycles used in the attack were recovered, which hindered the militants’ escape.

However, the operation came at a cost, with one soldier and one member of the civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) killed during the firefight.

Search and rescue operations continue as security forces work to secure the release of the remaining hostage.

By Uzair Adam

A civil society organisation, the Centre for Reform and Public Advocacy (CFRPA), has approached the Federal High Court in Kano, seeking an order disqualifying President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from contesting the 2027 presidential election over allegations of certificate forgery.

The suit, filed under case number FHC/K/CS/312/2026, names President Tinubu, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and Chicago State University (CSU) as defendants.

According to court documents, the plaintiff alleged that Tinubu submitted forged academic credentials from Chicago State University as well as a fake National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate to INEC during the 2023 general elections.

The group further claimed that Tinubu did not attend Government College Lagos as stated in his records, arguing that the institution was established in 1974, several years after he reportedly completed his secondary education.

CFRPA contended that the president lacks a valid secondary school certificate, which it described as the minimum constitutional requirement for contesting the office of president.

The organisation also accused INEC of failing to respond to a petition it submitted on June 19, 2026, requesting clarification on Tinubu’s eligibility for future elections.

In its statement before the court, the plaintiff referenced the 2023 United States court ruling in In Re: Application of Atiku Abubakar (No. 23 CV 05099), which directed Chicago State University to release Tinubu’s academic records.

According to the group, the documents released by the university contained inconsistencies and false entries, including what it described as a forged University of Cambridge General Certificate of Education.

Among the reliefs sought, the plaintiff is asking the court to declare Tinubu’s Chicago State University certificate forged, direct INEC to disqualify him from participating in the 2027 presidential election, and order Chicago State University to remove his name from its records.

The organisation is also seeking a perpetual injunction restraining INEC from accepting or publishing Tinubu’s name as a candidate in the 2027 election.

Supporting documents filed before the court include affidavits, witness statements, and correspondence addressed to the NYSC and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, requesting official clarification on the alleged NYSC certificate.

By Uzair Adam

Suspected bandits on Sunday night attacked several communities in Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State, killing three residents and injuring four others.

The injured victims reportedly sustained gunshot wounds and are currently receiving treatment at hospitals within the area.

Residents identified the affected communities as Gobirawa, Badole, Yammama and Dayi, where the attackers carried out coordinated assaults that triggered panic among villagers.

According to eyewitness accounts, the attacks occurred in two phases, with Gobirawa and Badole recording the highest casualties as the gunmen stormed homes and fired indiscriminately.

One of the residents, Abdul’aziz Abdul’aziz, described the incident as a major setback to the relative peace that communities in the area had enjoyed in recent months.

“We had started experiencing some level of peace, and many people had returned to their farms. Unfortunately, the bandits returned and launched the attack with heavy gunfire,” he said.

Abdul’aziz noted that residents attempted to defend their communities despite the superior firepower of the attackers.

“The people displayed remarkable courage. They stood up against the assailants even though they were heavily armed,” he added.

Residents praised security operatives for their swift intervention, saying the prompt deployment of police personnel and local vigilantes helped repel the attackers and prevent further loss of life.

Community members said security forces conducted overnight patrols across the affected areas, restoring calm and reassuring residents.

“We are grateful to the government, the police and the vigilantes for responding quickly. Their intervention helped save lives and prevented the situation from escalating,” another resident said.

Abdul’aziz also appealed for blood donations for the injured victims, saying they urgently require support to aid their recovery.

Residents further called on authorities to maintain a strong security presence in the area, expressing concern that the renewed attacks could discourage farming activities during the current rainy season.

“If farmers are unable to access their farmlands because of insecurity, it will worsen food shortages and deepen poverty in our communities,” a resident warned.

Efforts to obtain an official response from the Katsina State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the command’s spokesperson, DSP Sadik Aliyu, did not respond to calls or text messages before the report was filed.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have attacked Lassa town in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, where they reportedly abducted students writing the ongoing National Examinations Council (NECO) examination alongside some teachers.

The assault reportedly happened on Monday during a market day in the community. Residents said the attackers arrived in large numbers on motorcycles and wore military camouflage.

According to eyewitnesses, the gunmen invaded the town while students were taking their examinations. They allegedly took away several candidates and teachers to an undisclosed location.

Sources within the area also disclosed that at least one teacher lost his life during the attack. However, the exact number of casualties and abducted persons has yet to be confirmed, as some residents are still searching for missing relatives.

Residents accused security personnel stationed in the area of being absent when the attack occurred. They claimed soldiers had travelled to nearby Uba, which is about 16 kilometres from Lassa, before the insurgents entered the town.

“The soldiers were not around when the terrorists invaded. They came in large numbers, firing sporadically and causing panic everywhere. They took away students writing NECO and their teachers,” an eyewitness said.

Attempts to get a reaction from the spokesperson of the Borno State Police Command, ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, were unsuccessful as calls to his mobile phone did not connect.

The incident has raised fresh concerns over insecurity in parts of southern Borno State despite ongoing military operations against insurgent groups in the region.

The Senate has defended the recently passed State Police Bill, insisting that national security concerns should take priority over political disagreements.

Last Wednesday, the upper legislative chamber approved the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) (State Police) Bill, 2026, which seeks to establish state police across the country.

The development followed criticism from some political figures and opposition leaders.

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), had called for the implementation of state police to be delayed until after the 2027 general election. He warned that politicians could misuse the structure if proper safeguards are not in place.

Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, national chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), also criticised the proposal during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme. He said the current administration lacked the credibility to implement such a system and described the moment as “this is the worst possible time” to introduce state police.

Reacting to the criticism, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele said the legislation emerged from national necessity rather than political calculations.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Bamidele described the bill as “purely a child of necessity and not of political expediency as well as a product of national consensus and not of cynicism”.

The senator representing Ekiti Central explained that the proposal was not a recent initiative. According to him, the idea formed part of submissions presented before the Senate ad hoc committee on the review of the 1999 Constitution.

He said lawmakers consulted widely because of the sensitive nature of the issue.

Bamidele stated that the National Assembly engaged the executive arm of government, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures and the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force, among other stakeholders.

He added that public hearings also took place across the six geopolitical zones in July 2025.

“At each level of our consultation, nearly all stakeholders embraced the State Police Bill in the light of stark realities we are facing today,” he said.

According to him, recommendations from the Nigeria Police helped lawmakers create oversight and accountability measures aimed at preventing abuse of state police by politicians.

“The resolve of the Nigeria Police to support the Bill obviously highlights its strategic national significance to deal with insecurity at local and state levels,” he said.

Bamidele also said the bill enjoyed support across party lines in both chambers of the National Assembly.

“Even though the APC is the majority, there are members of opposition parties – PDP, ADC, NDC and Labour Party – that exercised their discretion in favour of the Bill, mainly in the national interest and not on parochial basis,” he said.

“In the Senate, for instance, 84 out of 109 members voted clause by clause in support of the Bill. This accounted for 77.06% approval at the Senate alone.”

The Senate leader stressed that security issues should not be treated as partisan matters.

“Political actors elsewhere always throw off their togas of partisanship and parochialism to support initiatives that will boost and reinforce national security,” he said.

He urged opposition parties to offer constructive ideas that could improve peace and stability across the country instead of focusing solely on criticism.

“Even when they disagree on some grounds, they are under obligations to provide credible and useful ideas that can make our Nation better and greater. Unfortunately, they have not passed this critical test of opposition democracy,” he added.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Troops attached to Operation Hadin Kai have arrested a man suspected to be working with the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) over an alleged plan to attack military facilities in Borno State.

The suspect, identified as Muhammad Shuaibu, was apprehended by soldiers of the 212 Battalion at the Forward Operating Base in Chabbol after security operatives received intelligence about a planned terrorist operation.

According to reports from military sources cited by Zagazola Makama, a publication that focuses on insurgency activities around the Lake Chad region, troops arrested the suspect during a routine patrol conducted near the protective anti-vehicle ditch surrounding the base.

The report stated that the operation followed credible intelligence reports about an impending attack on military formations in the area.

Preliminary findings reportedly connected the suspect to an alleged plan to target the 199 Special Forces Battalion, popularly known as Mosquito Camp, alongside the Forward Operating Base in Chabbol.

Military sources said the suspect confessed during interrogation that the planned operation existed and alleged that the attackers intended to continue with the mission despite his arrest.

Security officials said the development enabled troops to tighten security around the affected military formations and improve defensive arrangements against possible attacks.

The suspect has reportedly been transferred to the 7 Military Intelligence Brigade for further investigation.

The arrest forms part of ongoing intelligence-driven operations by Operation Hadin Kai aimed at disrupting insurgent activities, dismantling terrorist networks and improving security across Nigeria’s north-east region.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Aisha Hanan Buhari, daughter of late former President Muhammadu Buhari, has received recognition as one of Africa’s 100 Most Notable Peace Icons at a summit held in Marrakech, Morocco.

The honour came during the 2026 edition of the 100 Most Notable Africans Leadership and Business Summit. Davdan Peace and Advocacy Foundation organised the award programme to celebrate Africans who have distinguished themselves in peacebuilding, humanitarian activities, leadership and sustainable development.

Aisha, who serves as founder and chief executive officer of the Hanan Buhari Foundation, earned the recognition for her humanitarian efforts, advocacy for social justice and projects aimed at empowering communities.

Speaking after receiving the award, she described the recognition as both an honour and a call to greater responsibility.

“Receiving this honour is both a privilege and a responsibility,” she said.

“It serves as a reminder that meaningful change is possible when compassion, dedication, and service guide our actions.”

She stated that the award also reflected the commitment and contributions of the foundation’s staff, volunteers, partners and supporters.

According to her, leadership should be judged through service to humanity, support for vulnerable people and the pursuit of justice.

Aisha dedicated the award to her late father, whom she said inspired her devotion to public service and humanitarian work.

“I dedicate this recognition to my late father, may Allah be pleased with him, and to every individual who continues to work courageously for positive change, often without recognition or reward,” she said.

She also praised her husband, Muhammad Turad Sha’aban, who co-founded the Hanan Buhari Foundation with her. She said his support and leadership helped the organisation expand its humanitarian activities.

The foundation reaffirmed its commitment to widening programmes that focus on community empowerment, humanitarian intervention and sustainable development in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.

By Abdulhamid Abdullahi Aliyu

Nigeria has become dangerously familiar with the ritual of disaster. The warnings often come early, the forecasts are circulated, vulnerable communities are identified, and officials hold preparedness meetings. Yet when the floods finally arrive, or fire tears through crowded markets, or another preventable emergency pushes families into distress, the country still reacts with the same confusion, urgency and humanitarian panic, as though tragedy appeared without notice.

It is one of the ironies of public life in Nigeria that disasters are rarely taken seriously until they become spectacles. Before then, they exist as predictions, advisories, technical reports, stakeholder meetings and public warnings. Afterwards, they become breaking news, condolence visits, emergency relief, public anger and committee recommendations. Between those two moments lies the real weakness of the system: the stubborn national habit of knowing danger in advance but failing to prepare adequately for it.

This is the difficult terrain in which the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, operates. To many Nigerians, the agency is most visible in moments of distress, when flood victims need support, when displaced persons require relief, when fire victims are counting losses, or when communities suddenly discover the meaning of vulnerability. But the true measure of an emergency management institution is not only what it does after a tragedy has occurred. It is also what it can prevent, reduce, coordinate, and anticipate before the situation becomes a national emergency.

That is why the two-year stewardship of Mrs Zubaida Umar as Director General of NEMA deserves a more thoughtful reading than routine anniversary praise. When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved her appointment in March 2024, the expectation was not merely that another public officer would occupy another office. The assignment carried the heavier burden of strengthening operational discipline, improving coordination and repositioning the agency toward a more proactive model of emergency management. Two years later, the useful question is not whether disasters have disappeared. They have not. The real question is whether there are signs that the agency is beginning to think differently about its mandate.

Perhaps the most important development under Umar is not the kind that announces itself loudly. It is not found only in relief distribution photographs, ceremonial visits or official statements. It is evident in a gradual institutional shift from reaction to anticipation, from waiting for disaster to happen before mobilising to placing greater emphasis on preparedness, early warning communication, simulation exercises, inter-agency coordination, and community-level sensitisation.

This shift may appear modest to the casual observer, but in Nigeria’s emergency management culture, it is significant. The country’s problem has never been simply the absence of warnings. Flood forecasts are issued. Meteorological advisories are released. Hydrological risks are mapped. Vulnerable states and communities are repeatedly mentioned. Environmental experts warn against blocked drainage and settlements along waterways. Yet the same cycle continues because warnings, in themselves, do not save lives. They only become useful when they are understood, trusted and acted upon.

For years, Nigeria has struggled to convert prediction into preparedness. Communities remain in danger zones long after alerts have been issued. Drainages remain blocked despite annual warnings. Buildings continue to rise where water must naturally pass. Local structures often wait for Abuja. Citizens sometimes treat evacuation advice as government disturbance until water is already at the door. By then, emergency management becomes more expensive, more chaotic and more painful.

It is within this context that NEMA’s renewed attention to grassroots sensitisation becomes important. Across several states, the agency has intensified preparedness campaigns aimed at reducing the gap between forecast and response. One of the more telling examples was the flood preparedness campaign in Ebonyi State, where the engagement moved beyond formal speeches and stakeholder protocols into direct community interaction. Emergency officials went into vulnerable communities, spoke in local languages, distributed safety information, and discussed flood risks, evacuation culture, and prevention measures with residents.

That may look ordinary on paper, but it carries a deeper meaning. A warning trapped inside a technical report is not yet a warning. A forecast discussed only in Abuja has not fully served the woman whose house sits near a riverbank, the farmer whose farmland will be submerged, the school head who must protect pupils, or the local leader whose community may need to move before danger arrives. Disaster communication becomes meaningful only when it reaches ordinary people in the language of their daily reality.

This is one of the most important lessons Nigeria must learn. Preparedness is not achieved by issuing statements alone. It requires translation, persuasion, repetition and trust. It requires taking risk information from conference halls to communities, from policy language to household action, from official alerts to behavioural change. In that sense, public communication is not an accessory to emergency management; it is one of its strongest instruments.

The same logic applies to coordination. Disasters do not respect institutional boundaries. A flood is not only a NEMA issue. It is an environmental issue, an urban planning issue, a housing issue, a public health issue, a food security issue, a security issue and, quite often, a governance issue. When water overruns a community, it affects homes, roads, schools, markets, farmlands, hospitals and livelihoods at the same time. No single institution can carry that burden alone.

This is why the increasing emphasis on multi-sectoral coordination under the current leadership is notable. The agency’s engagements with ministries, departments and agencies, state emergency structures, security agencies, humanitarian partners and technical institutions suggest a clearer understanding that NEMA’s strength lies not in behaving like a lone responder, but in making the wider emergency management ecosystem function better. In a federal system where fragmentation often weakens public response, that coordinating role is not a small matter.

There is also a growing recognition that modern emergency management must be more technical than sentimental. It must be driven by data, monitoring, logistics planning, early warning systems, communication flow and rapid decision-making. This explains the growing relevance of structures such as the National Emergency Operation Centre, which serves as the command-and-coordination infrastructure required for monitoring and responding to serious disasters. Such systems may not excite the public in the way dramatic rescue scenes do, but they are central to the quiet work of preventing confusion before it becomes costly.

Simulation exercises also belong to this quieter but more serious side of emergency management. Nigeria has never been poor in policy documents; the problem has often been what happens when real pressure arrives. Preparedness drills help institutions identify their weaknesses before a disaster exposes them. In an emergency, questions that look simple in a meeting can become decisive on the field. Who leads the evacuation? Who communicates verified information? Who coordinates medical response? Who controls movement? Who protects children, women, older persons and persons with disabilities? Who documents needs and prevents duplication? The difference between order and confusion often lies in whether such questions were answered before the crisis.

The increased emphasis on rehearsals, simulations, and preparedness drills, therefore, suggests an agency seeking to move from theoretical to practical readiness. The process may be gradual, but the direction is important. A country that waits for every disaster to teach it the same lesson again has not taken preparedness seriously.

The wider humanitarian environment also makes this change unavoidable. Flooding remains one of Nigeria’s most devastating recurring threats, but it is not the only one. Urban fires, tanker explosions, building collapses, communal displacement, food insecurity, climate shocks and other emergencies have expanded the meaning of vulnerability across the country. A serious emergency management institution can no longer think narrowly or seasonally. It must understand how climate, poverty, infrastructure failure, insecurity, public behaviour and weak local governance combine to create disasters.

This broader thinking is beginning to reflect in NEMA’s engagement with issues such as food security, climate vulnerability and community resilience. That is an important evolution. In today’s Nigeria, food insecurity is not merely an agricultural concern. Floods destroy farms. Conflict displaces farming communities. Climate shocks weaken harvests. Poor roads and insecurity disrupt supply. Once these pressures converge, they become humanitarian problems. Emergency management in the 21st century is therefore not simply about distributing rice, mattresses and blankets after tragedy. It is about understanding risk before it matures into a crisis.

Still, any honest assessment must avoid the temptation of easy celebration. Nigeria’s emergency management architecture remains burdened by serious structural weaknesses. Many state emergency management agencies are still underfunded or poorly equipped. Local emergency management committees are inactive in many places. Urban planning violations continue with impunity. Floodplains are still occupied. Drainage systems remain poor across several cities. Citizens still ignore warnings. State and local authorities too often treat disaster preparedness as a seasonal ritual rather than a governance responsibility.

These are not problems one Director General can solve alone, and it would be unfair to pretend otherwise. But leadership matters because it sets institutional tone. It determines whether preparedness becomes a culture or remains a slogan. It influences whether an agency merely reacts to tragedy or begins to organise itself around prevention, anticipation and coordinated readiness. It shapes whether the system waits for sympathy after loss or pushes harder for discipline before loss.

It is not a transformation that should be overstated. Floods have not stopped. Fire outbreaks have not disappeared. Communities still suffer avoidable losses. Operational gaps still exist. But there are visible indications that the agency is increasingly speaking, and slowly institutionalising, the language of preparedness, coordination, public education and anticipatory action. In a country where public institutions often confuse activity with progress, even this shift in emphasis is worth noting.

Some achievements in public service are loud because they are visible. Others are valuable because they prevent losses that the public may never fully count. A community that evacuates early may never become headline news. A market that takes fire safety seriously may never trend online. A state that prepares before floodwater rises may not attract national attention. Yet these quiet outcomes are often the real victories of emergency management.

As Nigeria moves through another season of environmental uncertainty and humanitarian pressure, emergency management must no longer remain an afterthought, activated only after tragedy strikes. State governments must strengthen their emergency agencies. Local governments must revive community response structures. Traditional and religious leaders must help translate warnings into action. Citizens must stop treating risk alerts as routine government grammar. The media must give preparedness the same urgency it gives to disasters.

Two years into Zubaida Umar’s leadership, the agency appears to be attempting something important: the slow rebuilding of a preparedness culture in a country too accustomed to panic after warning signs have been ignored. It is an unfinished journey, certainly. But it is also a meaningful one.

Nigeria may never fully escape disasters. No country does. But stronger institutions can prevent familiar hazards from repeatedly becoming national tragedies. That, ultimately, is the real test of emergency management, and perhaps the quiet significance of the institutional shift now taking place at NEMA.

Abdulhamid Abdullahi Aliyu is a journalist and syndicated writer based in Abuja.

By Maimuna Katuka Aliyu

Hepatitis, a medical condition characterised by inflammation of the liver, remains one of the most significant yet underestimated public health crises in Nigeria. The liver is a vital organ responsible for essential bodily functions, including detoxifying harmful substances, metabolising nutrients, storing energy, and producing proteins necessary for blood clotting. 

While hepatitis can stem from excessive alcohol consumption, toxin exposure, certain medications, or autoimmune diseases, viral infections represent the most prevalent and dangerous form of the disease both globally and domestically.

There are five primary strains of viral hepatitis: A, B, C, D, and E. Each is triggered by a distinct virus and varies in transmission mode, severity, and treatment options.

Hepatitis A and E are typically waterborne, spreading through contaminated food and water in areas plagued by poor sanitation. Conversely, Hepatitis B, C, and D are bloodborne pathogens. They spread primarily through contact with infected body fluids, unprotected sexual contact, the sharing of sharp objects, unsafe medical procedures, and mother-to-child transmission during childbirth.

The insidious nature of hepatitis lies in its symptoms or lack thereof. Many infected individuals remain entirely asymptomatic during the early stages. When symptoms do surface, they often mimic general illness, such as fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain, dark urine, and jaundice (the yellowing of the skin and eyes).

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), viral hepatitis is a leading infectious cause of death worldwide, claiming approximately 1.3 million lives each year. Strains B and C are particularly dangerous because they can progress to chronic, silent infections that gradually destroy the liver over decades, leading to cirrhosis, liver failure, or liver cancer.

In Nigeria, the scale of this silent epidemic is staggering. The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare revealed that more than 20 million Nigerians are living with viral hepatitis, with Hepatitis B affecting roughly 18.2 million people and Hepatitis C affecting about 2.5 million. Hepatitis B stands as the most widespread strain in the country. 

Fortunately, a highly effective vaccine exists. The WHO strongly advocates that all infants receive this vaccine within 24 hours of birth as part of routine childhood immunisation.

For Hepatitis C, there is currently no vaccine, but modern antiviral medications boast a cure rate of over 95 per cent if the infection is detected early. Meanwhile, Hepatitis D presents a unique threat as a “satellite virus” that can only replicate in individuals already infected with Hepatitis B, a co-infection that drastically increases the severity of liver disease.

To combat this burden, the Federal Government has aligned with the WHO global target to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030. Central to Nigeria’s strategy is Project 365, a nationwide elimination campaign designed to scale up public awareness, screening, and treatment services while integrating hepatitis care directly into primary healthcare systems. 

This initiative is heavily supported by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) through enhanced disease surveillance, outbreak response, and the enforcement of infection control practices across medical facilities.

Ultimately, turning the tide against this hidden killer requires a shift from reactive medicine to proactive prevention. On an individual level, protection involves getting vaccinated against Hepatitis B, avoiding the sharing of personal sharp items, practising safe sex, and demanding screened blood products during transfusions.

With sustained government commitment to expanding affordable diagnostic tools, paired with a public willing to break the silence and get tested, Nigeria can move closer to a future where viral hepatitis is no longer a shadow over national health.

Maimuna Katuka Aliyu can be reached via munat815@gmail.com.