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Six States Oppose FG’s Plan To Impose COVID-19 Vaccine On Nigerians

COVID-19 Vaccine

As the reluctance of Nigerians to take the COVID-19 vaccine and be part of the country’s vaccination programme continues to grow, the Federal Government has continued to grow frustrated. This is coupled with the new Delta variant of the coronavirus which has been reported in the country and the rising numbers of infected persons across the nation.

This has moved the FG to suggest a compulsory vaccination programme for its citizens, saying it would hesitate to “apply the basic rule of law” against people who refused the COVID-19 vaccine because they would be endangering the lives of others.

This was made known on August 31, 2021, by the Executive Director, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Faisal Shuaib. He said:

“The Presidential Steering Committee and the Federal Ministry of Health are exploring ways of making vaccines more available to all Nigerians, including federal civil servants and corporate entities. Once these vaccines are made equitably available to all Nigerians, then we will need to have a frank discussion about justice, fairness and liberty that exist around vaccine hesitancy.

“If some individuals refuse to take the vaccine, hence endangering those who have or those who could not due to medical exemptions, then we have to apply the basic rule of law, which stipulates that your human right stops where mine begins. So, you have a right to refuse vaccines, but you do not have the right to endanger the health of others.”

However, six states have said they will not force anyone to be part of the vaccination programme against their wish. They insist on continuing their appeal to their residents to see the need to accept the programme rather than force it on them.  The six states include Abia, Bauchi, Cross River, Enugu, Ogun, and Taraba.

The Abia State Executive Director of the State Primary Healthcare Agency, Dr Chinagorom Adindu, said the residents of the state would take it as enlightenment campaign was ongoing.

“At the moment, we have not considered that (making the vaccination programme mandatory). Abians are highly literate and are willingly taking it. However, the state government has embarked on mass enlightenment to convince more residents to take the vaccine.”

COVID-19 Vaccine

COVID-19 Vaccine Programme

Read Also: COVID-19 Vaccine: There Will Be No COVID Vaccination For Under 18s – FG

The Bauchi State  Chairman of Contact and Surveillance Sub-Committee of the Task Force on COVID-19 and Executive Chairman of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Rilwan Mohammed, said the state had no plan to restrict people that had not been vaccinated from public facilities.

“There is no plan on that; we have yet to discuss that at the committee level. My Chairman is the deputy governor and he has not said anything on that and we have not discussed it.”

The Cross River State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Betta Edu, said residents were already taking the vaccine, thus there would be no need to force them to take it.

“We have asked people to take the vaccine and Cross Riverians are taking it. In the first phase, Cross River was the highest for covering the target population. We had over 117 per cent. We even exhausted our vaccine and could not get the vaccine to give people the second dose for eight weeks.

“So, there is no need to force them. As we speak now, over 60,000 Cross Riverians have taken the new vaccine brought to us and more are still taking it. In fact, we will soon exhaust what we have and we will need more. So, making it compulsory is not necessary.”

The Enugu State Commissioner for Information and spokesperson for the state Action Committee on COVID-19, Mr Chidi Aroh, revealed that the state would respect the fundamental rights of every resident of the state.

“I know that in Enugu State, we encourage people to take vaccine but rest assured that in encouraging people to take the vaccine, Enugu is a state that is guided by the law. We are going to respect the fundamental rights of everybody as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“So, in all we do, we will be guided by the process of the law and the administration will do everything within the extant laws. However, we say that it is proper for people to go and get vaccinated but we will not do what is illegal to get people vaccinated.”

The Taraba State Commissioner for Health and Chairman of the State Task Force on COVID-19, Dr. Innocent Vakkai, appealed to the residents to take the vaccine to prevent the spread of the virus.

“Though Edo State has made vaccination cards compulsory for entry into public places, for us in Taraba, we are appealing to residents to come out and get vaccinated. We received 60,000 doses of Moderna vaccine last week and I want to appeal to residents to come out and get vaccinated to avoid the spread of the virus.”

The Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, ruled out the option of barring persons who had not been vaccinated from its facilities.

“Ogun State has experienced cooperation from residents who have engaged the vaccination campaign wholeheartedly. We are vaccinating over 7,000 individuals daily, so the situation in Ogun State does not require such restrictions.

“What I would like to encourage people to do is to wear their masks properly in public as this is still the most effective way of curtailing the spread of the virus while we continue the vaccination campaign which is planned to continue until the fourth quarter of next year.”

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Tupac’s killer found guilty after 30 years

Duane “Keffe D” Davis has been found guilty in Tupac Shakur’s 1996 murder after trial testimony also raised an alleged payment involving Diddy. A Las Vegas jury has found Duane “Keffe D” Davis guilty of first-degree murder in the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, delivering the first conviction in one of hip-hop’s most notorious unsolved cases, nearly 30 years after the shooting.

Jurors took less than three hours to reach their verdict following a nearly two-week trial, convicting the 63-year-old former Compton gang leader of murder with a deadly weapon, with intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang. Davis was not accused of pulling the trigger himself.

Prosecutors argued he was the “shot caller” who handed the murder weapon to the gunman, believed to be his nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, seeking revenge after Shakur’s entourage assaulted Anderson earlier that night. Under Nevada law, someone who facilitates a murder can be convicted of the crime itself.

Beyond the verdict, testimony during the trial surfaced a detail that has drawn far less attention than the conviction itself: an alleged connection to Sean “Diddy” Combs. According to testimony reported by Rolling Stone, Combs allegedly arranged for money to be passed to Davis through an intermediary named Zip Martin, reportedly intended as payment tied to the killing.

The arrangement reportedly fell apart when Martin, in poor health at the time, never followed through on meeting Davis as investigators had hoped. Combs, now serving a 50-month sentence following his 2025 conviction on prostitution-related transportation charges, has consistently denied any involvement in Shakur’s death, and no charges have been filed against him in connection with this testimony.

Prosecutors built much of their case on Davis’s own past statements, including admissions made in police interviews and details from a memoir he authored, in which he described handing his nephew the gun used in the shooting.

Davis did not testify in his own defence. His attorney, Michael Sanft, argued throughout the trial that Davis fabricated or exaggerated his account for money and notoriety, telling jurors that investigators failed to independently verify his claims.

Judge Carli Kierny ordered Davis held without bail ahead of sentencing, scheduled for October 13, where he faces a possible life sentence without parole. After the verdict was read, Davis calmly asked the court for his personal belongings, including his phone and laptop, and indicated he intends to appeal the conviction.

The verdict lands just two weeks before the anniversary of Shakur’s death on September 13, giving his family a name and now a conviction attached to the killing they’ve waited nearly three decades for.

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Nathaniel Bassey shocked after Pastor Jerry Eze surprises him with birthday car

Gospel singer and minister Nathaniel Bassey has expressed shock after pastor Jerry Eze surprised him with a car as a birthday gift. Nathaniel Bassey shared a video of the moment he received the car, with the singer repeatedly asking who had sent him the gift.

Accompanying the video was a heartfelt message in which Bassey described himself as speechless after the surprise. Bassey revealed that although he usually keeps gestures like this private, he decided to share the surprise with his followers.

He explained that Pastor Jerry had secretly worked with his wife to get the car for him without his knowledge.

“Normally I keep things like this private, but not this one. I want to share this.
Woke up yesterday just desiring a nice, easy day of gratitude to God. Unknown to me, my brother and friend @realjerryeze had this holy coup ongoing with my wife.


In truth, the surpriser had been surprised. Still don’t know how to really express this in words.
He insisted on going for the very best when my wife suggested one to get. In his words, “My brother can’t drive that”

The gospel minister also revealed that Pastor Jerry plans to make similar gestures for other people.

“Pastor Jerry, not only has he done this for me. I know of a couple of other ones like this He is currently planning. The man gives like his life depends on it.
And I’m here to publicly say THANK YOU, PJ (pastor Jerry) – You know, even if you never do this, I’d still love you the same.
Thank you, Sir. Like I told you, I am speechless.”

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Entertainment

Reconciliation with ex-husband Churchill helped women restore broken relationships-Tonto Dikeh

Actress Tonto Dikeh has revealed how her reconciliation with her ex-husband, Olakunle Churchill, inspired her to help at least 10 women restore broken relationships with the fathers of their children. Dikeh shared this while urging single mothers to let go of hurt and embrace forgiveness for their own peace and healing.

According to the actress, her reconciliation with Churchill prompted several women in similar situations to reach out to her for guidance on how she overcame the pain of their decade-long dispute.

Ever since my reconciliation with my ex-husband, hundreds of women have reached out asking the same question: How did you learn to forgive?

While I couldn’t reply to everyone, I reached out to those whose pain mirrored my own. Today, to the glory of God, at least 10 women have been reconciled, restoring peace, healing hearts, and stepping into healthy co-parenting. God has truly turned my personal story into a tool for restoration.

If you are carrying bitterness today, please hear this: Forgiveness is never for the person who hurt you; it is for you. It is the key to moving your life forward. God will not inflict pain on others just because we are hurting,” she explained

Dikeh added that women who struggle with broken relationships should trust God rather than remain trapped in bitterness.

“True closure doesn’t come from people; it comes from God. He promises to restore the years that the cankerworm has eaten. Not just days or weeks, but years. Every tear you’ve shed and every year spent in pain will be turned into a powerful testimony.”

Dikeh’s message comes months after she announced the end of her long-running feud with Churchill, the father of her son, King Andre.

The former couple got married in 2015, but their marriage collapsed less than two years later. Their separation became a highly publicised dispute, with both parties involved in several accusations and public exchanges. Their disagreements also extended to issues around their son, with custody and co-parenting becoming part of the conflict. After years of hostility, Dikeh announced in January 2026 that she and Churchill had reconciled.

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