1.9 million people living with HIV in Nigeria presently – Buhari

Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday in Abuja disclosed that the new report on HIV prevalence put the people living with the dreaded disease currently in the country at 1.9 million.

Buhari spoke while formally unveiling the findings of the 2018 Nigeria HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) in Abuja.

Buhari noted during the presidential announcement of the NAIIS result at the Banquet hall of the Aso Rock that the results would form the future response to the country’s HIV and AIDS epidemic.

He said that the new prevalence of HIV and AIDS according to the result gives an estimate of 1.9 million people living with HIV in Nigeria presently.

According to him, this is an improvement to what was obtained in 2014, when the country was estimated to have 3.1 million people living with the virus in the country.

Buhari also noted that the results would provide the government with appropriate information that would enable the country beat the 2030 target of ending the epidemic.

“This result will provide the government with information to move forward in the HIV fight based on scientific data. We are already a step ahead in this regard.

“However, we cannot celebrate yet as we are more committed to ensuring that more people are placed on treatment.

“Now that we have the data, I urge us all to work together to ensure that we deliver ahead of 2030,” he said.

He added that in line with his administration commitment to healthcare, the government would ensure more people living with HIV are put on free anti-retroviral treatment.

Buhari also appreciated the U.S. government, PEPFAR, Global Fund and all partners that contributed to the success of the survey.

He, however, tasked the Ministry of Health and the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) to work closely with state governments with high HIV prevalence by ensuring that the epidemic was drastically reduced.

The Federal Government launched the National AIDS Survey on June 28, 2018, to determine the true distribution of HIV and AIDS, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C in the country.

The survey, which is the largest HIV survey in the world, reached more than 250,000 respondents in nearly 100,000 households in the 774 local government areas of the country.

The survey was completed at the end of December 2018.

-PM NEWS

INCESSANT KILLINGS : Bandits kill 17 vigilantes in Kaduna

The Kaduna State Police Command said no fewer than 17 vigilantes were killed by armed bandits in Jan Ruwa Village in Birnin Gawri Local Government of Kaduna State.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Yakubu Sabo, confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Kaduna.

Sabo disclosed that the police received information on March 12 at about 11:45am that a group of armed bandits entered Jan Ruwa Village of Birnin Gawri LGA and rustled many cows.

He added that “a team of vigilante group of the village who were returning from a function in Zamfara State, got the information mobilised and pursued the criminals into the deep forest, engaged the bandits in serious gun duel, as a result of which some of the vigilante men lost their lives.”

Sabo said a combined team of police mobile force, conventional police and vigilante mobilised to the area for search and rescue mission.

He added that in the process, 15 dead bodies of the vigilante men were recovered, and additional two bodies later.

“This brings the total number of vigilante men who died to 17,” he disclosed.

The spokesman said the Commissioner of Police, Malam Ahmad Abdurrahaman, condemned the killing of those patriots and vowed to apprehend the perpetrators to face the consequences of their action.

“He condoled the families of these gallant citizens who volunteered to assist security agencies in the protection of life and property of the citizenry.

”The CP assure members of the public that, the command has sent detectives to the area and working hand in hand with other security agencies to ensure timely arrest of the culprits,” he said.

He appealed to members of the public to assist police with relevant information on any suspicious person or group to ensure effective crime prevention in the state.

-DAILY POST

EL : Sarri reveals club he wants to play in final

Chelsea boss, Maurizio Sarri, has said he hopes to meet Napoli in the Europa League final.

Sarri stated this, after watching Chelsea storm into the quarter-finals, thanks to a 5-0 thrashing of Dynamo Kiev in Ukraine.

A hat-trick from Olivier Giroud, along with strikes from Marcos Alonso and Callum Hudson-Odoi, built on Chelsea’s 3-0 victory from the first leg at Stamford Bridge.

Napoli advanced 4-3 on aggregate against RB Salzburg, after falling to a 3-1 defeat in Austria.

“I prefer to find them in the final,” Chelsea’s head coach said when informed that Napoli had also qualified.

“It means we are in the final, that would make me happy and Napoli are in the final and that would make me happy.

“It would be difficult to play them with my history with the club.”

- DAILY POST

HIV/AIDS : FG, UN sign new agreement

The Federal Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) on how to decisively win the war against the scourge in Nigeria.

The agreement was signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, and the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Mr Michel Sidibe at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja, NAN reports

The team had earlier met with President Muhammadu Buhari to launch the new result of the survey undertaken by the group.

The minister acknowledged the results the effort of the organisation has yielded.

”On behalf of the government and people of Nigeria, we’d like to express our profound gratitude to you and your organisation for the great cooperation extended to us to tackle this major health challenge,” Onyeama said.

On his part, the team head, Mr Sidibe, praised the effort of the president and the country in its fight against HIV/AIDS.

He said the survey conducted by the organisation shows that Nigeria has less people living with the disease.

“This is a transformative moment for the country, because the survey is the largest survey we have managed to have in the history of the response to HIV.

”This survey is good news, because it is showing clearly that we have less people infected with HIV, less cases of new infection and less death due to HIV.

“We want to use this momentum to reinforce, strengthen and enhance our relationship with Nigeria.

“We know with our new data, we can be more focused, we can really go to where the epidemic is and be more efficient in term of utilisation of resources and have a better return on what will be invested in this fight,” Sidibe said.

According to him, the Memorandum of Understanding signed is a cooperation agreement to have a direct relationship with UNAIDS.

”Up till the point of signing, the organisation has been working under the larger umbrella of the United Nations, but with this agreement, they will be operating directly with Nigeria,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that UNAIDS is the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS and a special team handling all HIV/AIDS related crisis.

- DAILY POST

Emery hails Arsenal’s resilience

Arsenal manager Unai Emery hailed his side’s ability to cope under pressure after they came back from a 3-1 loss in the first leg of their Europa League last 16 tie.

They beat French side Rennes 3-0 on Thursday to advance 4-3 on aggregate to the quarter-finals of Europe’s second-tier club competition.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struck either side of an Ainsley Maitland-Niles goal as the North London side joined local rivals Chelsea.

Arsenal became only the second team in Europa League history to win a tie after losing the first leg 3-1.

“This comeback was very difficult, but I think the reaction was very good from every player,” Emery told reporters.

“We can be proud of our players today because it was a very difficult week — (Manchester) United on Sunday and today against Rennes.”

Arsenal’s 2-0 home English Premier League (EPL) win over Manchester United on Sunday kept alive their hopes of a top-four finish and a place in the UEFA Champions League next season.

“Playing under pressure is good, growing up under pressure — with each player playing like a team and feeling the difficult moments to give us our best performance,” Emery said.

Arsenal have missed out on UEFA Champions League football for the last two seasons, and their poor away record remains a big concern.

Although they have no more top-six teams to face in the EPL this season, they play more away than home fixtures.

Nevertheless, Emery said the UEFA Champions League, Europe’s premier club competition, was not his only focus.

The Europa League — which he won three times in a row from 2014 to 2016 as manager of Sevilla — also provides the chance for silverware.

“I said to the players today (Thursday), I’m excited (about) this competition, but it’s exciting not only for the possibility to go to the UEFA Champions League, but also because it’s one title,” he said.

He also took note of surprising results elsewhere.

“Today (Thursday), Inter (Milan) are out, Sevilla are out — a big surprise. And the last teams, they are all very important, and it’s going to be very difficult,” Emery said.

For his side, the focus must always be simple.

“We are going to think the same before every match. The next match is the most important for us,” Emery said.

- PM NEWS

Europa League Round-up: Arsenal join Chelsea in quarter-finals, Inter Milan out

Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struck twice as his side beat Stade Rennes 3-0 to reach the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals and join English Premier League (EPL) rivals Chelsea on Thursday.

Chelsea had earlier on Thursday thrashed Dynamo Kiev 5-0 with a hat-trick from Oliver Giroud.

But Italian side Inter Milan went out after a 1-0 home loss to Eintracht Frankfurt.

The German clubside made the last eight along with Napoli of Italy, Benfica of Portugal, Slavia Prague of the Czech Republic and Spanish sides Valencia and Villarreal.

Arsenal had lost the first leg 3-1 against Rennes in France but it took them just 15 minutes to swing the tie their way.

Their Gabon forward Aubameyang tapped home a cross from Aaron Ramsey with just five minutes on the clock.

The former Borussia Dortmund player then turned provider 10 minutes later when he crossed for Ainsley Maitland-Niles to double the lead with a header.

Although Rennes hit the post early in the second period, they were mostly toothless and Aubameyang cemented the victory with another goal from close range after 72 minutes.

Arsenal became only the second team in Europa League history to win a tie after losing the first leg 3-1.

Chelsea’s French striker Giroud, the competition’s top scorer this season, got his seventh and eighth goals before
Marcos Alonso tapped in a third just before half-time.

Giroud netted his third goal after 59 minutes when he headed home a Willian free kick.

Callum Hudson-Odoi added a fifth to cap an 8-0 aggregate victory for the Premier League side.

The perfect hat-trick — goals with his left and right foot, plus a header — was Giroud’s first for Chelsea.

Also, the win was the London club’s ninth in 10 European games this season and their biggest in the UEFA Cup or Europa League.

In the only tie between two former winners of UEFA Cup, the predecessor to the Europa League, Eintracht stunned three-time champions Inter Milan with a 1-0 victory that took them through.

Luka Jovic, the 21-year-old striker on loan from Benfica, lobbed Inter Milan goalkeeper Samir Handanovic after six minutes and the visitors held on to progress after a goalless first leg.

Napoli had beaten Salzburg 3-0 at home last week and it looked like the tie was wrapped up after 14 minutes when Arkadiusz Milik put them ahead with an acrobatic strike.

But the Austrians, whose unbeaten home run in Europe stretches back 17 games, fought back for a 3-1 win on the night.

Munas Dabbur equalised with his eighth Europa League goal of the season and substitute Fredrik Gulbrandsen made it 2-1 from a low cross by Andreas Ulmer midway through the second half.

Christoph Leitgeb got Salzburg’s third in stoppage-time but the away goal ensured Napoli went through 4-3 on aggregate.

It took hosts Krasnodar 85 minutes to revive their hopes of a quarter-final place at the expense of Valencia.

Trailing 2-1 from the first leg, Krasnodar levelled the aggregate score through Shapi Suleymanov’s spectacular strike which would have put them through on away goals.

However, Goncalo Guedes broke Russian hearts with a goal in stoppage time to earn the Spaniards a dramatic victory.

They were joined by neighbours Villarreal, who qualified 5-2 on aggregate with a 2-1 win over Zenit St Petersburg.

Gerard Moreno put Villarreal 1-0 ahead after half an hour and Carlos Bacca doubled their lead with his 21st European goal early in the second half.

Branislav Ivanovic got a consolation for Zenit St. Petersburg in stoppage time.

Sevilla, were knocked out 6-5 on aggregate by Slavia Prague who claimed a thrilling 4-3 extra-time win.

The teams were level at 2-2 after 90 minutes to leave the tie at 4-4 on aggregate.

But Mick van Buren and Ibrahim-Benjamin Traore scored for the home team, either side of a Franco Vazquez goal for
Sevilla, to eliminate the three-times Europa League winners.

Benfica also needed extra time to knock out Dynamo Zagreb.

Jonas gave the Portuguese a 1-0 lead after 90 minutes to level the score at 1-1 on aggregate.

But Francisco Ferreira and Alex Grimaldo, with a sensational 30-yard drive, struck in the extra period to earn Benfica a record fifth last-eight spot.

The draw for the quarter-finals and semi-finals takes place on Friday. (NAN)