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Tag: rats

  • ‘Deal with rats in your environment’

    Nigerians  have  been  urged to take rats’ control seriously, as it will assist in the elimination of lassa fever.

    Lassa fever is a zoonotic virus infection, meaning that humans become infected from contact with infected animals

    According to a psychiatric nurse at Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, Mrs Racheal Adagunodo, it is necessary because Lassa fever is a threat to health and  the economy.

    Mrs Adagunodo said the vector for Lassa fever is the multi-mammate rats. Explaining that this natural host for the virus – the multimammate rats (mastomysnatalensis), which breed frequently and are distributed widely throughout West, Central, and East Africa are the common rodents in tropical Africa, and they are found predominantly in rural areas and dwellings more often than surrounding country side.

    “It is found in urban settings where the level of hygiene is low.   Member of this genus is infected persistently and shed the virus in their excreta and other body fluid throughout life,” she said.

    On how to prevent the vector from transmitting the virus, Mrs Adagunodo said people should be educated on proper ways of food processing. “Stop drying food beside roads, e.g. cassava produce, grains etc.), ensure that cooked or uncooked foods are adequately covered, ensure regular hand washing with liquid soap and antiseptics, ensure furniture surfaces are cleaned with disinfectants, e.g., tables and floors, doors and windows should be closed, especially at night, if not possible, a net should be used,” she said.

    All medical professionals should wear protective gadgets when treating people infected or suspected to be having lassa fever. “Wear mask one meter before reaching the patient. Anybody, who showed symptoms of lassa should report to the hospital immediately. General cleanliness of home environments should be maintained. All waste bins should be tightly closed. Avoid unnecessary handshakes and contacts with anybody fluids of other people,” she warned

    She also warned that lassa fever as a health condition cannot be determined facially but by testing the blood of the infected or suspected individuals, adding that it is through  laboratory diagnosis by using enzyme, such as immune sorbent serologic assays (ELISA) Incubation Period.

    “The incubation period is from one to 21 days (three weeks).  It  affects both male and female, and it’s common in the dry season than wet season.  Lassa fever is difficult to diagnose clinically, but should be suspected in a patient with a fever greater than 38c, and if such a patient failed to respond to anti-malaria and antibiotics drugs,”she said.

    Mode of transmission, according to her, is when humans become infected with lassa virus from exposure to the droppings of infected mastomy rats; through contacts with contaminated food, drinks, and items within or around human, e.g. eating plates; through humans  by direct contact with blood, urine, feaces or other body fluid of infected human.

    “In the health care setting where the virus may be spread by contaminated medical equipment such as needles, it can be transmitted sexually through semen. It could be transmitted through breast milk from an infected mother to her child. It can be inhaled from dry surfaces or infected dust.  By eating the multi-mammate rat (Mastomys natalensis) as it is a delicacy in some parts of Nigeria.

    “Also, cough,  a sore throat, pharyngitis, retrospinal pain, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, pink eye (conjunctivitis), swelling of the face, protein in urine, tremor are some of the clinical factors to watch out for,” explained Adagunodo.

    She said if the vector is not controlled, there could be untold economic effects, the economy effects, according to Mrs Adagunodo, drawing on past experience the multimillion-naira cassava flakes (gari) processing company was short down temporarily for fear of individuals contracting lassa fever through the consumption of cassava flakes; so gari consumption dropped, adding, “Gari could not be exported, as this affected both internal and external revenue generation.”

    Mrs Adagunodo said gari business was not the only business that could be affected as millions of naira were spent by the government to get the protective gadget for clinicians, who care for people with lassa fever.

    “This money, if channelled to other parts of the health sector would have improved our health care facilities tremendously. This applies to training and retaining of staff to enable them prevent and manage the diseases effectively, for example, the epidemiology and laboratory training program to support and manage lassa fever by the ministry of health.

    “In addition, drug of choice in the treatment of lassa fever ribavirin is expensive, and families are affected financially as there are reports that in some lassa treatment centres treatment are not free. Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria is putting out investors, who would have come to invest in Nigeria’s economy. Families spend more money on rodenticide compared to two years before the outbreak.

     

  • ‘Deal with rats in your environment’

    Nigerians  have  been  urged to take rats’ control seriously, as it will assist in the elimination of lassa fever.

    Lassa fever is a zoonotic virus infection, meaning that humans become infected from contact with infected animals

    According to a psychiatric nurse at Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, Mrs Racheal Adagunodo, it is necessary because Lassa fever is a threat to health and  the economy.

    Mrs Adagunodo said the vector for Lassa fever is the multi-mammate rats. Explaining that this natural host for the virus – the multimammate rats (mastomysnatalensis), which breed frequently and are distributed widely throughout West, Central, and East Africa are the common rodents in tropical Africa, and they are found predominantly in rural areas and dwellings more often than surrounding country side.

    “It is found in urban settings where the level of hygiene is low.   Member of this genus is infected persistently and shed the virus in their excreta and other body fluid throughout life,” she said.

    On how to prevent the vector from transmitting the virus, Mrs Adagunodo said people should be educated on proper ways of food processing. “Stop drying food beside roads, e.g. cassava produce, grains etc.), ensure that cooked or uncooked foods are adequately covered, ensure regular hand washing with liquid soap and antiseptics, ensure furniture surfaces are cleaned with disinfectants, e.g., tables and floors, doors and windows should be closed, especially at night, if not possible, a net should be used,” she said.

    All medical professionals should wear protective gadgets when treating people infected or suspected to be having lassa fever. “Wear mask one meter before reaching the patient. Anybody, who showed symptoms of lassa should report to the hospital immediately. General cleanliness of home environments should be maintained. All waste bins should be tightly closed. Avoid unnecessary handshakes and contacts with anybody fluids of other people,” she warned

    She also warned that lassa fever as a health condition cannot be determined facially but by testing the blood of the infected or suspected individuals, adding that it is through  laboratory diagnosis by using enzyme, such as immune sorbent serologic assays (ELISA) Incubation Period.

    “The incubation period is from one to 21 days (three weeks).  It  affects both male and female, and it’s common in the dry season than wet season.  Lassa fever is difficult to diagnose clinically, but should be suspected in a patient with a fever greater than 38c, and if such a patient failed to respond to anti-malaria and antibiotics drugs,”she said.

    Mode of transmission, according to her, is when humans become infected with lassa virus from exposure to the droppings of infected mastomy rats; through contacts with contaminated food, drinks, and items within or around human, e.g. eating plates; through humans  by direct contact with blood, urine, feaces or other body fluid of infected human.

    “In the health care setting where the virus may be spread by contaminated medical equipment such as needles, it can be transmitted sexually through semen. It could be transmitted through breast milk from an infected mother to her child. It can be inhaled from dry surfaces or infected dust.  By eating the multi-mammate rat (Mastomys natalensis) as it is a delicacy in some parts of Nigeria.

    “Also, cough,  a sore throat, pharyngitis, retrospinal pain, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, pink eye (conjunctivitis), swelling of the face, protein in urine, tremor are some of the clinical factors to watch out for,” explained Adagunodo.

    She said if the vector is not controlled, there could be untold economic effects, the economy effects, according to Mrs Adagunodo, drawing on past experience the multimillion-naira cassava flakes (gari) processing company was short down temporarily for fear of individuals contracting lassa fever through the consumption of cassava flakes; so gari consumption dropped, adding, “Gari could not be exported, as this affected both internal and external revenue generation.”

    Mrs Adagunodo said gari business was not the only business that could be affected as millions of naira were spent by the government to get the protective gadget for clinicians, who care for people with lassa fever.

    “This money, if channelled to other parts of the health sector would have improved our health care facilities tremendously. This applies to training and retaining of staff to enable them prevent and manage the diseases effectively, for example, the epidemiology and laboratory training program to support and manage lassa fever by the ministry of health.

    “In addition, drug of choice in the treatment of lassa fever ribavirin is expensive, and families are affected financially as there are reports that in some lassa treatment centres treatment are not free. Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria is putting out investors, who would have come to invest in Nigeria’s economy. Families spend more money on rodenticide compared to two years before the outbreak.

     

  • Team to kill rats in 465 markets in Lagos

    Team to kill rats in 465 markets in Lagos

    The Lagos State Vector Control Programme is to employ more graduates of the state’s College of Health Technology  (LASCOHET), Yaba, to eliminate Lassa Fever virus  by killing rats from  465 markets in the state.

    Mr Oluwasegun Benson, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Phosgard Fumigants Nigeria Ltd., and the programme’s coordinator, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday.

    NAN reports that the state government established the programme to eliminate Lassa Fever virus transmitted to humans by killing rats especially in markets and public places in what is called deratting.

    The coordinator spoke shortly after inspecting markets in Ijeh Barracks and Obalande in Eti-Osa Local Government and seven others in Ijora, Apapa Local Government.

    Benson said that Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State had given his approval for automatic employment of 233 graduates of the college from 2012/2013 academic session with effect from July 2, 2016.

    He said the team’s planned employment of more graduates of LASCOHET would further enhance curbing the spread of Lassa fever in the state by ridding it of rats.

    NAN reports that LASCOHET, formerly known as the School of Hygiene, was established by Dr Oladipo Oluwole, the first Nigerian Medical Officer of Health, in 1920.

    Benson explained that under the programme, his members would cover over 465 markets, beginning from next month.

    “The deratisation of the markets will be done every month. We will visit all the markets in each local government in the state once a month.

    “Some markets are big while some are small, the biggest market in Eti-Osa Local Government is Obalende and it won’t take us more than 45 minutes to finish.’’

    Benson also said that his team had taken possession of the equipment to be used for the exercise.

    He said that they would do the exercise at night when they would have less distraction from the public and when the traffic would be light.

    Benson said that before then, his team’s advocacy group would have sensitised the public on the need to cover their foodstuffs.

    “Our team will visit the markets at nights, and we hope we will be able to cover no less than 10 markets and as the project goes on, we will purchase more equipment and employ more people.

    “We will also station some of our equipment within bigger markets for our team to carry out the exercise,’’ he said.

    Benson said that the project would afford the members of the public that killed rats to earn more money because the team would be buying such dead rats from them.

    This is part of the team’s plan to keep their environment free of vector-borne diseases, he said.

    NAN reports that the slogan for the vector control programme is “Kill rats, make More Money in Lagos’’.(NAN)

  • Council to rid markets of rats

    Residents of Somolu Local Government Area of Lagos State have been advised to maintain proper hygiene to guard against the spread of Lassa fever.

    The council’s Executive Secretary Abiodun Orekoya gave the charege during the deratisation of Oyediran and Alarape markets, organised by the Lagos State Local Government Association of Environmental Officers.

    Orekoya hailed the association’s gesture to eradicate rats in the markets.

    He said the council has established a Health Vanguard Gang to clean the environment.

    The group’s president Samuel Akingbehin said rats are susceptible to the spread Lassa fever.

    Akingbehin said all precautionary measures should be embraced to guard against the spread the fever.

    The Iya-Oloja of Somolu Local Government Area, Chief Modupe Olafojude solicited cooperation of the members for the success of the exercise.

  • Traditional ways to keep off rats

    Traditional ways to keep off rats

    Before the intervention of orthodox ways of ridding the environment of rats responsible for Lassa fever, there were long-established ways of doing it, writes OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTRAPHA.

    How you we get rid of rodents in our environment naturally? There is no one- way answer. Our forefathers ensured that cracks and holes at home that could allow rodents in were sealed.

    According to a traditional practitioner, Mr  Segun Fahuwa, a.k.a Mister Guarantee, our forefathers equally removed food sources that might attract rodents, such as trash, pet food or fallen fruit from trees, and stored them properly. Housecats are nature’s mouse predator. “Just don’t let them outside, because they also kill birds, and never use mouse poison because your cat could easily ingest it along with the rodent,” he stated.

    Dr Fahuwa said one could also capture rodents with live traps and move them far from the home. “Use snap traps with sensitive triggers that are more likely to kill quickly. Use as many as 10 traps near any known rodent hole, and position them about two feet apart along walls, with the bait-end against the wall. It is also good to put on hand gloves or else your scent on the traps may make them ineffective, because rodents can pick up human body aura,” he stated.

    He added that the modern use of glue traps are unlikely to kill mice quickly, but can be effective. “Keep them in place for at least five days so rodents become accustomed to them. People of old also used sound to drive away rodents. These improvised repellent sound devices may or may not work, but are designed to annoy rodents with a high-frequency sound that humans can’t hear.

    “Poison bait boxes can be used as a last resort. Look for tamper- and weather-proof boxes that use first-generation (multiple-dose) anticoagulants. Place them only in areas that are inaccessible to pets and children,” he advised.

    In addition, a site www.pestkill.org explained that rodents appear in the places where they feel comfortable. Appearances of rodents prove that the inhabitants didn’t pay much attention to hygiene and sanitation. So, the only way out is to keep your rooms and environment in order. It takes you a weekend to put to right these places, but you will be saved from rodents for a long month and years. Check all rooms including the kitchen for the presence of holes and cracks. Look for any damage, because small mouse can penetrate through a hole sized of a small coin. If you have found some holes, close them up with steel wool. Then apply sealant or cement. Put the mousetraps around the house. As bait it is better to use a slice of fried edibles or peanut paste. Do not provoke mice to come back. Pack products carefully and close them tightly. Keep a bin clean. In such a way you will be saved not only from rodents but from insects as well.

  • FROM SHANTIES TO PALATIAL ‘HOMES’:Lagos IDPs celebrate freedom from mosquitoes, rats

    FROM SHANTIES TO PALATIAL ‘HOMES’:Lagos IDPs celebrate freedom from mosquitoes, rats

    IF tragedy is what is required to transform people’s lives from a state of misery to happiness, the victims of the fire incident that occurred at Iwaya, a suburb of Yaba area of Lagos State, early last month, would no doubt wish for more.

    The victims, most of who have been moved by the state government to the LASEMA Relief Camp at Agbowa, a suburb of Ikorodu area of the state, appeared to have shrugged off the misery they were plunged into by the incident and enjoying their lives.

    They have moved from wailing to wearing toothy smiles, from being emasculated to being vivacious and from being gloomy to celebrating.

    One of the inmates, Blessing Asehinde, had this to say about their new status: “We are living like kings and queens here. I use two fans with my children.  It has been so good all along and we are very grateful for all this. If given the opportunity, I would want to continue living here.”

    A visit to the camp reveals that this is the mood of all the inmates and they are celebrating it. Coming from a ghetto where basic facilities are in short supply and where little or no attention is paid to hygiene, they have come to see the camp as a paradise that must not be lost. Checks showed that they are celebrating because they are now enjoying certain facilities that were previously alien to them.

    Back in their razed shanty settlement, the victims, it was learnt, were defecating in canals and living at the mercy of mosquitoes and rats. But this has changed since they got to the camp and for them, it is worth celebrating. From defecating in canals, they said they now do so in glittering water closet and do not wait till night fall to have their bath.

    “Back there in Iwaya, we used to defecate in the canal but coming here, we are now using water closet. It is not that we were going to canal to ease ourselves. We used to do it in a place that was covered with roofing sheet and after defecating, we would fling it into canal.

    “That was the practice then but all that has stopped since we got here. We who used to do ‘shot put’ style of defecating now defecate in clean water closet,” Madam Aina Sotade, a 60 year- old refugee told The Nation.

    Bimpe Akintunde , a mother of four, said they  have been delivered from the practice of defecating in one place and going to throw it away in another place since they got to the camp. She said: “We used to defecate in nylon bag and after doing that, we would transfer it inside latrine. We now defecate in fine water closet. We have also been delivered from the pains of carrying buckets up and down looking for water. We have been bathing three times a day and under shower for that matter.

    “We wash our clothes as soon as they are dirty, unlike in Iwaya where we used to heap our dirty clothes in one corner of the house because water was not always available. When water would even be available for us to buy, the money to buy it might not be there. We have taken a breather from all that since we came here.”

    Blessing Peters, a 28-year-old refugee, however, took exceptions to defecating in canal while living in Iwaya. “Although I lived in a plank building back there, I created a place where I fitted water system to in my apartment because I could not use latrine like most people. There were so many places that you would visit there in Iwaya and you would be shocked that such places existed in such shanty community.”

     

    Freedom from mosquitoes and rats

    Before the fire incident sacked them from Iwaya, the refugees narrated that they were literarily living with mosquitoes and never saw anything unusual about it.

    After some weeks of leaving the area, Folasade Meduoye, an refugee, said she develops  nightmare anytime she thinks of going back to the community to attend to personal issues.  “I had wanted to go to Iwaya since the beginning of the week but the fear of the mosquitoes keeps discouraging me.

    “I am always crestfallen whenever I remember that I have something to do at Iwaya all because of the anger of the mosquitoes.  They may even be more aggressive this time around because they would feel that we abandoned them to be starving since we left there to come here.

    “If you see the mosquitoes at Iwaya, fear will grip you. If you sit outside to receive fresh air, you will not wait to pick your slippers if the mosquitoes should descend on you. They were in different shapes and colours.”

    Bimpe Akintunde , a mother of four, also spoke about the menace of mosquitoes in the razed community. Mosquitoes used to bite the hell out of our bodies at Iwaya because of the nature of the area  but that is not the case here. Even if you choose to sleep outside, you would not feel a single mosquito bite. You dare not try that Iwaya. If you do, you will end up in the hospital the following day,” she said.

    Blessing Peter, 28, and a single mother, spoke about the effrontery of the rats in their former settlement. She remarked:  “We have been free from the usual offensive smells that used to be the order of the day at Iwaya. We don’t have heap of refuse dump and mosquitoes in this place but we had all that at Iwaya.

    “I have also come to notice that the rats here are different from the ones we lived with at Iwaya. The Iwaya rats are completely local rodents, while the ones here are classical rats.  When you come across a rat at Iwaya, they would not run away.

    “Instead of running away, they would keep staring at you in a manner that suggests they were co-tenants. It was only when they were chased that they would run away. The rats here would not wait for you to chase them before they run. They run immediately they see you.”

     

    Sexual life of refugees in the camp

    Owing to the conditions they have found themselves, findings revealed that the sexual life of the refugees has not been the same since they arrived the camp. While the male appears to have lost appetite for sex, the females said they always find ways to satisfy their urge with their husbands.

    Chief Oluw17, 18, 19 20 AGBOWA 14-2-15.o Oladiji Sotade, a native doctor, said his state of mind does not encourage sexual matters to cross his mind, adding: “My wife and my children are here with me but we are not staying in the same apartment.  I have had no sexual urge since the incident happened and have never thought of sleeping with my wife since then. I am telling you that I have nothing to fall back on again and that the dress I am wearing now was given to me by somebody, you are talking about sex. What is sex?

    “Is it not when you are happy that your manhood will be erect? Even when I sleep these days, I always make sure I lock up very well to prevent anybody from coming to disturb me.”

    Okorie, another refugee, said he has always wished to make love with his wife but could not because they were not staying in the same hostel. “I have not been ‘kicking’ (making love) since we came here because I am not staying in the same hostel with my wife. We only come together during the day to keep each other’s company.

    “There is nothing I can do about it because the environment does not permit that. I have always suppressed the feeling any time it comes.  ‘Kicking’ is suspended till we have a conducive environment for that.”

    It is, however, a different ball game for Blessing Asehinde.  She said: “My husband is not staying here with us. He only comes to visit us. We do make love whenever he comes because I am in a family dormitory. We just have to do that because it would not be appropriate to deny him sexually.

    “I would equally not want to starve myself of sex unnecessarily just because I am in a relief camp. There is no big deal about it as long as I am doing it with my husband. If there were no room for it, we would adjust or find a way out.”

    Another refugee, Folasade Meduoye, said: “My hubby used to come here and when he does, we take time out to make love. If he doesn’t come, I do go out to meet him to satisfy his sexual needs and mine. I don’t think it is necessary to abstain when my hubby is there to fulfill his conjugal duties.”

    Bimpe said she has been on ‘sabbatical leave’ sexually because her husband is currently held in prison custody. I have had nothing to do with sex since my husband was arrested.  No guy in Iwaya had the courage to come and approach me for such because they respect my husband. I have also not cheapened myself before any man since then because of the love I have for my husband.  I have put sexual matters on hold for now,” she said.

     

    Refugees seek permanent residence in camp

    Apparently overwhelmed by the facilities in the new environment they have found themselves, the refugees wished the government could make them permanent residents in the camp because  they have no place to move into if they are asked to quit the camp.

    Bimpe said: “I have nowhere to go from here if the government asks me to leave because I have been the only one responsible for the up-keep of my four kids. My husband, Sulaimon Olomi, who should have been complementing my efforts is currently in Kirikiri prison.

    “I want to plead with the government to help me facilitate the release of my husband from the prison.  He was into land business and was arrested with some of his colleagues sometime in August, last year.

    “The arrest took place three days to our last born’s naming ceremony.  We have made spirited efforts to bail him but all that has been fruitless.  Some of his colleagues that were arrested together with him have been released but I don’t know why he is still being held.”

    Expressing her wish to continue to live in the camp, Madam Sotade, said: “I don’t want to go back to Iwaya for any reasons. I wish to continue to live here and also appreciate getting a job from the state government to make both ends meet because I have nothing I can all my own again.

    “The clothe I am putting on was given to me by somebody. Aside from it, I only have two others that were equally given to me by kind-hearted people. If the government asks us to leave this camp today, I will end up wandering about because I don’t have anywhere to put my head neither do I have a dime to get accommodation.”

     

    Refugees eulogise Lagos govt, LASEMA

    The refugees showered praises on the state government and the officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) for the love they have shown to them since the incident occurred.

    “I really thank LASEMA for their support since the incident happened. I could not bring my first son to this place because he wanted to write his common entrance examination. It was the officials of LASEMA that gave me money to buy his books and bag.

    “There is nobody that would not prefer the life in this place.  We are being given three square meals every day and once that is taken away from the poverty in one’s life, the rest can be endured. It even appears they instructed power authorities not to deny us of power supply and whenever there is power outage, they would switch on generator to give us power supply,” Bimpe said.

    Also speaking, Chief Oluwo said: “We thank God for the help we have been receiving from the state government. Governor Fashola has proven that governance is about meeting the people at their points of needs. He and the officials of LASEMA have been very helpful and faithful to us.”

    Still locked up in his state of confusion, he added: “I have no hope or idea of what to do next with my life and family. I am even yet to recover from the shock because all the traditional things I used to do my work were consumed by the fire. The shock almost affected me mentally because most of the things that were burnt are not things you can get to buy in the market. I have been sick since then.

    “I didn’t visit the clinic in the camp for treatment. I have been trying to treat myself the native way by going into nearby bush to get leaves to make herbal drinks. I am better off now and would only plead with the government to further help us.

    “I lost all my traditional heritage as a herbalist to the incident.  It is very painful to me and that is why I have decided to come and hide myself here to recover from the shock that I suffered after the incident.  As a native doctor, there was nothing I could do when the incident occurred because it happened late in the night and caught us, I in particular, unawares.”

     

    Our babies are for  gov —Pregnant refugees

    The family of Lagos State governor, Mr. Babatunde Fasola may soon get additional five new born babies! The babies are coming from five expectant mothers at the relief camp, who have described their babies as Fasola’s children following the support he has been giving them since they were taken to the camp.

    17, 18, 19 20 AGBOWA 14-2-15.The women,  Ngozi Aloy, Fausat Hussein, Ezinne Okorie,  Kafaya Ifaniyi and Oluwaseyi Kayode, described the babies in their wombs as ‘government pikin’ and wished  that the governor would attend their naming ceremonies. They lamented that all the baby things they bought in preparation for the babies’ arrival were burnt in the incident that brought them to the camp.

    “The baby I am carrying is a child of the governor because his good gesture brought relief to the baby when all hope was lost. I was sleeping in my tiny shop with my children after the fire incident. It was my husband that asked me to come here. In fact, I would want the governor to come for the naming ceremony to see the baby that his magnanimity saved from being born by the road side,” Ngozi said.

    The woman, who is close to her delivery date, pleaded for more medical attention, adding: “I have not been sleeping well. My stomach aches me a lot and it always appears as if the baby is coming up to my chest region. I would appreciate more support from the government to be delivered safely.”

    In the same vein, Fausat remarked: “I wish to stay here and give birth. Even if I don’t, the baby is Fasola’s child because he played a role in keeping him safe in my womb when the incident occurred. All the baby things that I bought got burnt in the incident. I thank the governor for giving me succour. I would have been wandering about with this pregnancy but the governor, out of his magnanimity, put a roof over my head. This is indeed Fashola’s baby.”

    The camp commandant, Saibu Akeem, said: “The refugees have been very cooperative and  law-abiding. We have not had any problem with them since they came here. We thank them for also appreciating the efforts of LASEMA and the kind gestures of the state government.”