“As a lady born with HIV, I have faced lots of stigma issues that made me feel people living with HIV are not humans. “The worst of them all was when a laboratory scientist revealed my status to my friend and the entire community got to know about it. “It…

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said raids of nightclubs and other leisure places in Abuja will be suspended until further notice. The commission stated this in a statement signed by the Director-Corporate Affairs and External Linkages (NHRC), Lambert Oparah. It said the resolution to suspend the raids was reached…

A former Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, has refuted the allegation that he diverted N300 million meant for the provision of medical equipment for the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Gusau, Zamfara State. In a statement released on Friday and signed by his former Special Assistant on Media and Communication, Dan…

Only 11 of the 774 local government areas in Nigeria are free from the practice of open defecation, the United Nation Children's Fund (UNICEF) has said. A Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) specialist, Bioye Ogunjobi, said this in Kano on Wednesday. He spoke at the opening sesion of a two-day…

Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) for HIV is a short-term treatment with the antiretroviral drug to reduce one’s chance of becoming infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) after a potentially high-risk situation. The 30-day medication helps prevent HIV from replicating and spreading in the body as long as it is…

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has commenced hearing on the alleged harassment of women during the recent raids of nightclubs in Abuja. The hearing, which commenced on Thursday, was presided over by the Executive Secretary of the agency, Tony Ojukwu. Officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and…

Officials from the social development office in Abuja on Monday demolished Caramelo, a night club at the heart of the Nigerian capital. The Caramelo Bar in the exquisite Ukato neighbourhood was pulled down by earth-moving hardware on Monday morning, two days after a demolition notice was delivered for workers and…

Caramelo, a popular nightclub in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, has been demolished. The building, located in Utako area of the city, was demolished by Abuja authorities on Monday morning. Officials of the club told PREMIUM TIMES that they were only given notice of eviction on Friday. An official of the…

At least 11 northern states in Nigeria are yet to pass a child rights law despite its obvious benefits for children, a child protection specialist with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Sharon Oladiji, has said. The states are Bauchi, Yobe, Kano, Sokoto, Adamawa, Borno, Zamfara, Gombe, Katsina, Kebbi, and…

A group of human rights activists, women organisations and residents of the Federal Capital Territory has called for an end to the unlawful arrest of women in Abuja. The group made the call in Abuja on Friday during a protest to demand justice for women that were detained and allegedly…

Following the recent arrests of women in Abuja clubs, lawyers across Nigeria have shed light on the position of the law on the raids and the effect on nightlife in the federal capital city. Often, officials have labelled the arrested women as prostitutes, a factor they have used to justify…

A group of women have called out residents of Abuja to join in a protest at the Eagle Square on Friday against police harassment of women in recent weeks. The protest is against recent raids and arrests of women in clubs within Abuja. The protest, with the #AbujaPoliceRaidOnWomen is expected…

Some of the women arrested at the different nightclubs in Abuja for alleged prostitution have narrated to PREMIUM TIMES how police officers raped and assaulted them. The ladies said they were also teargassed by the officers while in detention. The women were taken before a mobile court in Abuja, where…

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) police command has set up a team to probe allegations of rape against some of its officers. In a statement issued on Friday, the command’s deputy spokesman, Gajere Tanimu, said the command has sent out an invitation to some individuals that may assist in the…

Human right activists have condemned the recent raid, alleged assault, and sexual harassment meted on over 100 women in some Abuja clubs by agents of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Joint Task Team. The condemnation was highlighted in a statement signed by 36 civil society groups, non-governmental organisations, media…

The raids of night clubs and arrests of women in the past few weeks have continued to raise concerns over the legality of the action by the Nigerian security agencies. About two weeks ago, PREMIUM TIMES reported how some officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), raided a popular…

The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib, has said the Community Health Influencers Promoters and Services (CHIPS) programme would be replicated across Nigeria by December. He said President Muhammadu Buhari has directed that CHIPs should be replicated in all the 36 states and…

About two weeks after police officers arrested 30 women at different night clubs in Abuja, another 70 women have been arrested. The latest arrests were done on Saturday night and the victims were taken to and detained at a police station, a witness said. Martin Obono, a lawyer and activist,…

Nigeria’s labour and employment minister, Chris Ngige, has been in the eye of the storm after claiming the country has ‘enough’ medical doctors to attend to the needs of Nigerians. While Nigerians on social media questioned the minister’s understanding of the health sector, experts said the minister spoke from a…

The Executive Director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib, says Nigeria will be declared polio-free in the next six months. He said this at a press conference on the 2019 African Vaccination Week (AVW) in Abuja on Thursday. Mr Shuaib said Nigeria has not recorded a…

Nigeria has concluded plans for mass vaccination of children in all parts of the country throughout the period of the 2019 African Vaccination Week. The country has improved in routine immunisation coverage in the past years, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) said. The Executive Director of the…

In commemoration of the 2019 World Malaria Day, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has called for renewed political commitment to eliminate the disease. The International agency said increased investments in malaria prevention and control will go a long way in fighting the disease. In a statement released on Wednesday, the…

Officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), have reportedly raided a popular night club in Abuja, Caramelo, and arrested 34 female nude dancers. During the raid on Wednesday night, the front perimeter fence of the nightclub, which is located at Utako district of Abuja, was also demolished, an official…

Truvada is a pill used for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), a practice of using antiretroviral drugs to prevent HIV infection. PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported that many Nigerians do not know about the drugs and its importance. PBS NEWS HOUR, an American news site, has highlighted some important things to know about…

Joan, a lady in her late 20s, makes a living by having sex with people she barely knows; some she has never met before. Joan lives with some of her friends in Kubwa, a suburb town in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). She said she had no choice than to…