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Sokoto Hospital Records First Successful Kidney Transplant

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The Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, has successfully conducted its first kidney transplant at the TETFund Centre of Excellence in Urology and Nephrology.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, the Director of Research and Development at TETFund, Salisu Bakari, praised the achievement, stating that UDUTH had emerged as the best-performing among the 27 TETFund Centres of Excellence nationwide.

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He reaffirmed TETFund’s commitment to supporting the hospital’s sustainability and positioning it as a leading medical centre in Sub-Saharan Africa.

To promote knowledge sharing, he pledged to invite directors from other centres across the country to learn from UDUTH’s success model.

READ ALSO: U.S. Man Who Received First-ever Modified Pig Kidney Transplant Dies

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Bakari also highlighted TETFund’s plans to enhance ICT infrastructure and internet availability in Nigerian tertiary institutions.

He described UDUTH’s accomplishment as one that would benefit the underprivileged and serve as an example of how public funds should be effectively utilized for the masses.

The Vice-Chancellor of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Prof. Bashir Garba, praised the medical team led by Prof. Ismail Mungadi for bringing honour to the institution and the nation at large.

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He assured that the university would work to sustain its kidney transplant programme for the benefit of Nigerians.

He also urged the governments of Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara States to assist in constructing a dedicated facility for kidney transplant patients.

READ ALSO: Kidney Stones: What You Need To Know

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The Chief Medical Director of UDUTH, Prof. Anas Sabir, commended the hospital staff, particularly the Urology and Nephrology Department, for their dedication.

He assured that UDUTH would continue investing in workforce capacity building, emphasising that the strong partnership between UDUTH and its parent institution, UDUS, has been instrumental in the hospital’s success.

Governors of Sokoto and Kebbi States pledged their full support for the centre.

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The Kebbi State Commissioner for Health, Yunusa Ismail, representing Governor Nasir Idris, expressed pride in the transplant’s success, highlighting its potential to reduce medical tourism and provide affordable treatment for citizens.

He assured that Governor Idris remains committed to supporting the centre to make its services accessible to ordinary Nigerians.

READ ALSO: How Organ Harvesters Deceived Villagers To Sell Their Kidneys

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Similarly, the Sokoto State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Umar Faruk, representing Governor Ahmed Aliyu, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to ensuring the sustainability of UDUTH’s achievements.

He noted that the governor’s “Nine-Point Smart Agenda” prioritises healthcare, as reflected in the highest budgetary allocation to the health sector in the state’s 2025 budget. He further disclosed plans for a Memorandum of Understanding between Sokoto State and UDUTH to enhance healthcare delivery.

To further demonstrate the government’s support, Governor Aliyu announced a cash donation of N10m to the centre.

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In his goodwill message, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, represented by Galadima Sokoto, Alhaji Aliyu Attahiru, commended the hospital’s management for their achievement.

He assured that the Sultanate Council stands ready to support the hospital’s continued growth.
(PUNCH)

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LG Chairman Drags Niger Govt To Court Over Alleged Tenure Reduction

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Alhaji Aminu Yakubu-Ladan, the Chairman of Chanchaga Local Government Area (LGA) in Niger, has sued the state government over alleged reduction of tenure of local government chairmen and councillors.

Yakubu-Ladan, in the suit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, sought an order restraining the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC) and its co-defendants from conducting the scheduled LGAs’ election until the expiration of their tenure.

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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NSIEC has fixed November 1 for the conduct of the local government poll across the state.

However, the plaintiff, in the suit, named the Attorney-General of Niger State, the House of Assembly, NSIEC, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Inspector-General (IG) of Police as 1st to 5th defendants respectively.

READ ALSO:Naira Records Three Straight Depreciations Against Dollar As Foreign Reserves Drop

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The chairman is challenging the constitutionality of the Niger State Local Government Law, 2001, which seeks to reduce the tenure of local government chairmen and councillors from four years to three years.

Yakubu-Ladan, in the originating summons marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1370/2025, dated July 10 but filed July 11 by his counsel, Chris Udeoyibo, sought eight questions for determination.

The chairman questions whether the state government can enforce inconsistent local government law, 2001 (as amended), which clashed with the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act, 2022.

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Should Niger State Local Government Law Section 29 (2) be declared unconstitutional for clashing with the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act, 2022,” he said.

READ ALSO:Court Orders Final Forfeiture Of N335m, Hospital, Five Filling Stations To FG

The plaintiff seeks a declaration that a four-year tenure for local government chairmen and councillors is constitutionally guaranteed by virtue of the Constitution and the Electoral Act, 2022.

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The suit also challenged the NSIEC’s preparation for the local government elections slated for November 1.

The plaintiff, therefore, seeks an order restraining the defendants from the elections on Nov. 1 until the expiration of a four-year tenure for chairmen and councillors.

READ ALSO:Alleged $9.6bn P&ID Fraud: Fleeing Briton’s Surety Arrested, Produced In Court

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The suit also seeks to restrain INEC and the I-G from providing logistical support and security protection for the election.

Yakubu-Ladan argued that the state’s local government law, 2001, is inconsistent with Section 7 of the constitution and Sections 018 and 150 of the Electoral Act, 2022.

The suit is yet to be assigned to a judge as of the time of the report.

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France’s Top Court Annuls Arrest Warrant Against Syria’s Ex-president al-Assad

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France’s highest court Friday annulled a French arrest warrant against Syria’s ex-president Bashar al-Assad — issued before his ouster — over 2013 deadly chemical attacks.

The Court of Cassation ruled there were no exceptions to presidential immunity, even for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

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But its presiding judge, Christophe Soulard, added that, as Assad was no longer president after an Islamist-led group toppled him in December, “new arrest warrants can have been, or can be, issued against him” and as such the investigation into the case could continue.

Human rights advocates had hoped the court would rule that immunity did not apply because of the severity of the allegations, which would have set a major precedent in international law towards holding accused war criminals to account.

READ ALSO:Internet Fraud: Chinese Nationals Lose $222,729 In Digital Assets To FG

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French authorities issued the warrant against Assad in November 2023 over his alleged role in the chain of command for a sarin gas attack that killed more than 1,000 people, according to US intelligence, on August 4 and 5, 2013 in Adra and Douma outside Damascus.

Assad is accused of complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity in the case. Syrian authorities at the time denied involvement and blamed rebels.

– Universal jurisdiction –

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The French judiciary tackled the case under the principle of universal jurisdiction, whereby a court may prosecute individuals for serious crimes committed in other countries.

An investigation — based on testimonies of survivors and military defectors, as well as photos and video footage — led to warrants for the arrest of Assad, his brother Maher who headed an elite army unit, and two generals.

READ ALSO:FG Secures $5m Loan To Upgrade Power Distribution Infrastructure

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Public prosecutors approved three of the warrants, but issued an appeal against the one targeting Assad, arguing he should have immunity as a head of state.

The Paris Court of Appeal in June last year however upheld it, and prosecutors again appealed.

But in December, Assad’s circumstances changed.

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He and his family fled to Russia, according to Russian authorities, after he was ousted by advancing rebels.

In January, French investigating magistrates issued a second arrest warrant against Assad for suspected complicity in war crimes for a bombing in the Syrian city of Deraa in 2017 that killed a French-Syrian civilian.

READ ALSO:FBI Cracks Down On Lagos Fraudster For Stealing ₦460m In Crypto Meant For Trump’s Inauguration

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– Indictment of ex-bank governor valid –

The Court of Cassation said Assad’s so called “personal immunity”, granted because of his office, meant he could not be targeted by arrest warrants until his ouster.

But it ruled that “functional immunity”, which is granted to people who perform certain functions of state, could be lifted in the case of accusations of severe crimes.

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Thus it upheld the French judiciary’s indictment in another case of ex-governor of the Central Bank of Syria and former finance minister, Adib Mayaleh, for complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity over alleged funding of the Assad government during the civil war.

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Mayaleh obtained French nationality in 1993, and goes by the name Andre Mayard on his French passport.

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Syria’s war has killed more than half a million people and displaced millions from their homes since its eruption in 2011 with the then-government’s brutal crackdown on anti-Assad protests.

Assad’s fall on December 8, 2024 ended his family’s five-decade rule.

AFP

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Fashion Designers, IT Specialists: UK Opens Door To Foreign Talents With New Visa Rules

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The United Kingdom has expanded its Skilled Worker visa route to include more than 70 mid-level occupations, opening the door for foreign professionals such as fashion designers, technicians, and IT specialists to work in the country with salaries starting from €29,000.

This move, which took effect on July 22, 2025, is part of the government’s strategy to tackle urgent labour shortages by easing access to roles traditionally considered outside the high-skilled visa category.

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The update introduces a newly expanded Temporary Shortage Occupation List (TSOL), which comes with significantly lower salary thresholds and streamlined visa processes for eligible roles across sectors such as engineering, construction, healthcare, science, finance, creative arts, and information technology.

The changes reflect a deliberate shift to address staffing gaps in industries critical to the UK economy.

READ ALSO:US Will Send Ukraine Patriot Air Defense Systems

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Under the revised rules, salary requirements now vary based on an applicant’s visa history. While standard

thresholds still apply to newcomers, those categorized as “new entrants,” PhD holders, or individuals with continuous Skilled Worker visas prior to April 4, 2024, can qualify at lower salary levels.

For instance, a pipe fitter who previously needed to earn at least £46,000 can now be eligible with £40,400. Engineering technicians are permitted at £34,700, down from £42,500. In the creative sector, fashion designers can now qualify with £29,100, while data analysts in tech are eligible at £28,600. Laboratory technicians in science and healthcare can apply with £25,000, reduced from the standard £33,400.

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READ ALSO:Russia Strikes Ukraine After Kyiv Offers Fresh Talks

This restructured visa list is seen as a direct response to economic and political pressures surrounding skills shortages. It seeks to make the UK labor market more globally competitive while addressing domestic gaps in practical, mid-level roles.

Despite these new allowances, all applicants must still meet basic eligibility requirements, including having a confirmed job offer from a licensed UK sponsor and obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship. Applications must also include proof of qualifications, salary information, and a valid job match aligned with the official occupation codes.

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Although the government describes the updated list as temporary, no fixed end date has been announced.

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