General News
NAFDAC, NOA Launch Nationwide Enforcement on Sachet Alcohol Ban
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) have officially launched a nationwide enforcement framework to ensure compliance with the Federal Government’s ban on sachet alcohol and alcoholic beverages packaged in containers below 200 millilitres.
The enforcement campaign was unveiled during a joint press briefing in Abuja, signalling the commencement of coordinated regulatory and behavioural change operations across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
Director-General of NOA, Lanre Issa-Onilu, described the initiative as a public health intervention aimed at reducing underage access to cheap, high-concentration alcohol.
He noted that sachet alcohol products are inexpensive, portable, and easy to conceal, making them highly accessible to minors.
He explained that the agency would deploy its 818 offices across the country’s 774 local government areas to drive grassroots sensitisation and compliance monitoring.
Activities under the framework will include town hall meetings, market outreach programmes, school engagements, motor park campaigns, and partnerships with religious institutions.
Messages will also be disseminated in local languages to improve community understanding.
The agency plans to leverage television, radio, and digital platforms, including its CLHEEAN mobile application, to encourage citizens to report violations of the ban.
On her part, NAFDAC Director-General, Mojisola Adeyeye, said the enforcement aligns with legislative resolutions urging strict implementation of the ban and discouraging further extensions of the moratorium on sachet alcohol production.
The Federal Government had earlier banned the production and sale of alcohol in sachets and in PET or glass bottles smaller than 200ml, effective January 1, 2026.
Adeyeye disclosed that the policy is supported by findings from a 2021 nationwide survey conducted with the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria, which showed significant underage access to alcohol.
The survey indicated that more than half of minors interviewed purchased alcohol themselves, with many obtaining sachet packs directly from retail outlets.
She warned that early alcohol exposure increases the risk of addiction, poor academic performance, road accidents, risky sexual behaviour, and long-term mental health complications, adding that alcohol consumption can adversely affect the developing brain.
Officials said the enforcement drive will target not only production and distribution channels but also retail outlets found violating the ban.
The framework is expected to strengthen regulatory surveillance, boost public awareness, and encourage community participation in protecting vulnerable populations from underage alcohol consumption.
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has formally forwarded a list of nine commissioner nominees to the Rivers State House of Assembly for screening and confirmation.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Clerk of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Emeka Amadi, directed the nominees to submit their credentials for legislative review as part of the confirmation process.
The nominees are Datonye Alasia, Tonye Bellgam, Temple Nwofor, Peters Nwagor, Charity Deemua, Tamuno Williams, Lekue Kenneth, Otonye Amachree, and Amairigha Edward Hart.
According to the statement, the nominees are required to submit forty copies of their curriculum vitae (CV), along with photocopies of their academic and professional credentials. They are also expected to provide evidence of compliance with their tax obligations.
“All documents should be forwarded to the Office of the Clerk of the House at the Rivers State House of Assembly Quarters,” the statement read.
The move comes nearly a month after President Bola Tinubu held a meeting with Governor Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, in Abuja, amid ongoing political tensions in Rivers State.
The submission of the commissioner nominees is seen as a significant step in strengthening the state’s executive council following recent political developments.
General News
US-Israeli Airstrikes Reportedly Kill Iran’s Acting Defence Minister Hours After Appointment
Iran’s newly appointed acting Defence Minister, Seyed Majid Eb Al-Reza, has reportedly been killed in fresh U.S.-Israeli airstrikes, less than 48 hours after assuming office.
According to emerging reports on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, Al-Reza was targeted in strikes carried out in Tehran. Iranian authorities have yet to issue a detailed official statement confirming the circumstances of his death, but multiple sources indicate he was among the latest high-profile casualties in the escalating conflict.
Al-Reza was appointed on March 2, 2026, by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian as interim defence minister. His appointment followed the killing of his predecessor, Aziz Nasirzadeh, who died in earlier U.S.-Israeli strikes on February 28.
Those earlier attacks also reportedly claimed the lives of senior Iranian figures, including Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohammad Pakpour, Army Chief Abdol Rahim Mousavi, and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
If confirmed, the killing of two successive defence ministers within days would mark an unprecedented blow to Iran’s military leadership and signal a dramatic intensification of hostilities between Tehran and the U.S.-Israel alliance.
The reported strikes come amid widening regional tensions, with both sides trading accusations over targeted attacks on strategic installations and leadership structures.
Analysts warn that the continued decapitation of Iran’s top command could provoke further retaliation and deepen instability across the Middle East.
The investigation panel of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) has suspended the medical director of Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital and two other doctors following preliminary findings linked to the death of Nkanu Adichie-Esege, son of renowned writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
The panel established a prima facie case of medical negligence in the management of the deceased, who died on January 7, 2026, after complications arising from preparatory medical procedures.
Based on its findings, the council suspended Tunde Majekodunmi, medical director of Euracare; Titus Ogundare, an anaesthesiologist; and Atinuke Uwajeg, chief medical officer of Atlantis Hospital.
The affected practitioners have been barred from medical practice in Nigeria pending the outcome of proceedings before the Medical and Dental Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal.
The panel’s secretary, Enejo Abdu, disclosed that evidence of professional misconduct was also found against 10 other doctors at Atlantis Hospital after reviewing complaints, written responses, and sworn testimonies.
However, the council clarified that the report remains preliminary and does not represent a final judgment. All affected medical personnel will undergo a full hearing before a tribunal, which will deliver the final decision.
Eight doctors were cleared of wrongdoing during the review of the 21 medical practitioners involved in the case.
The investigation concluded during the panel’s 25th session held on February 17 and 18 in Abuja, while a coroner’s inquest into the incident is scheduled to commence on April 14, 2026.