The Lagos State Government has confirmed six laboratory-verified diphtheria cases in 2026, drawn from 53 suspected infections, while insisting the state is not facing a widespread outbreak.

Commissioner for Health Prof. Akin Abayomi disclosed the figures at a press briefing in Alausa, Ikeja, on the state’s diphtheria preparedness and response. He said all six confirmed patients had been treated and that their contacts were traced and monitored through the incubation period.

“We are appealing to all Lagosians to remain calm. There is currently no outbreak of diphtheria in Lagos. We are taking precautionary measures,” Abayomi said.

Officials said the extra vigilance is because outbreaks are continuing in other parts of Nigeria and because Lagos has a large, highly mobile population. The state has strengthened surveillance across its 57 local government and local council development areas, expanded laboratory testing and designated treatment centres. Those facilities are Mainland Hospital (formerly the Infectious Disease Hospital), Yaba; Massey Street Children’s Hospital, Lagos Island; Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH); and Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

Abayomi urged parents to complete the three-dose pentavalent vaccine schedule at six, 10 and 14 weeks, noting that full childhood immunisation coverage in Lagos is about 64 per cent. Residents with a severe sore throat, fever, weakness, difficulty swallowing or breathing, neck swelling, or a white or grey membrane at the back of the throat were advised to seek care promptly and avoid self-medication, especially after travel to affected states.

| • IGP, Tunji Disu

Benue State Police Command said that they have so far apprehended 46 suspects in connection with the obstruction of the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) Peter Obi’s convoy during his visit to the state on Tuesday.

“Key arrests have been made, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend all other persons connected with the incident,” said Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu.

He stressed that the command remains a neutral institution, noting that every citizen possesses the constitutional right to freedom of movement regardless of political affiliation.He warned that with the 2027 general elections approaching, security agencies will not tolerate actions capable of escalating political tensions.

He warned that with the 2027 general elections approaching, security agencies will not tolerate actions capable of escalating political tensions.

Nwadiogbu also clarified that Obi’s representatives had initially described the trip as a non-campaign visit to families affected by the Yelwata crisis, promising that only a small entourage would accompany him.

He confirmed that the command was notified of Obi’s visit at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Monday.

The police deployed adequate security, including three police escort vehicles and personnel led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police, to safeguard the former Anambra State governor.

However, a group of persons subsequently blocked Obi’s movement, creating a tense environment that threatened to escalate into violence.

Nwadiogbu said the police made a tactical and professional decision not to use force immediately, aiming to prevent loss of life and destruction of property.

Obi was eventually escorted safely back to the airport and departed the state without further incident.

Motorists endured hours of gridlock on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Tuesday after the Federal Government began two-week repairs on damaged expansion joints at the Kara Bridge.

The rehabilitation, which started on September 8 and is scheduled to run until September 22, involves replacing worn-out expansion joints that had exceeded their service life and posed safety risks. Work is being done in phases: one half of the affected section is closed at a time while traffic is controlled on the remaining lanes.

Traffic built up in the afternoon and stretched from the Kara Bridge in Ogun State to the 7Up Junction and beyond into Lagos, including areas around Secretariat, Ojota, Ikeja and the Otedola underpass. Security and traffic officials from the police, military, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Federal Road Safety Corps and Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps were deployed to manage the flow.

The Federal Ministry of Works said the intervention, directed by the Minister of Works, aims to improve road safety and preserve the bridge’s structural integrity. Authorities have advised motorists to plan journeys carefully, consider alternative routes where possible, and cooperate with traffic managers during the repair period.