 Hello, it's another edition of Plus Reports, a compilation of the stories and events that made the news recently. Welcome, I'm Jacinta Obuco. Just like COVID-19 pandemic, cholera is one infection to be concerned about as it is still real, spreading and deadly. Despite a national operation activated to check the disease, more states are recording a rise in cholera infection. 653 persons have died from it in 2021 alone and the figures have risen beyond 10,000. Plus TV Africa's correspondent Aneta Felix spoke with a public health physician on how best to stop the spread of the disease. Cholera is a fickle, orally transmitted disease. This means that you can get infected when you eat food or drink water that has been contaminated with feces. Symptoms of cholera include watery diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration and without proper treatment, rapid deterioration and death. We reached a consultant public health physician at the University of Kalabati in hospital. She is Dr Abassi Akbarpan. She explains the causes of cholera, including the challenge of open defecation and poor environmental sanitation. If you think cholera only affects those in rural areas, you need to think again. Here's the good news. It can be avoided altogether. Nigeria is currently battling a cholera epidemic with over 10,000 cases recorded in 22 of 36 states. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has activated a National Cholera Emergency Operations Centre as part of efforts to ensure that the infection and death rate does not continue to rise. Anneta Felix, PLOS TV Africa. Provision of safe water and sanitation is critical to prevent and control the transmission of cholera and other water-borne diseases. And on COVID-19 surge, legations are having a hard time coping with the third wave of coronavirus. The daily rising number of deaths is worrisome. Governor Babaji Desangulu briefed residents on the development. He confirmed that Legos has been recording a daily average of six deaths at isolation centres recently. The development in the country has stirred up some sort of consciousness regarding ways to prevent the spread of the virus. These days, you can almost caught the anxiety in the air with a knife. Just when you think you can finally relax the COVID-19 protocols, Legosians get hit with an 8-fold increase in infection rate. That's about 4,300 confirmed cases in July alone. Governor Samu Luhens said 352 patients be admitted into the state-run isolation facilities in the same month. You want to know if Nigerians are still keeping to the prescribed COVID-19 measures, here you go. Some people do observe this, while some people believe that there's no more assistance of COVID-19 in Nigeria or in the particular areas. I try as much as possible to keep myself and also to keep the protocol. I know people that had COVID-19. I know friends that have been positive. I've seen things. I'm feeling fascinated already, but that's why I've seen news. I've read about it, so I can't be careless about it. The truth of the matter is that the government cannot take responsibility for all of this. So it is now our duty to protect ourselves. If normal sensitization continues as it was before, it will keep reminding people of the caution to be taken. And just so you know, non-compliance with the protocols is not without consequences. Health professionals don't leave us in doubt. You need to know the way you communicate the information for behavior to change. And I think, you know, I will not be able to communicate this in a way for, for, for in a constant enough manner for people to understand and, you know, add head to that. We're all learning about this. Everybody knows everything. And we, all of us have suffered, you know, we've lost loved ones, we've lost jobs, you know, all of that have happened. So now, you know, we're in a situation where, you know, it's not just government telling us what to do. It is about all of us. What do we need to do? However, the governor is urging residents with symptoms to reach out to a hotel image on this number 238000356633 and all listed accredited health care facilities can manage COVID-19 cases. And here is reminding the doubting termuses that COVID-19 is still very much out there and endurance are obliged to adhere with the safety protocols. And now to the northeast crisis, the armed conflict in that region has been over a decade now and millions of people have been displaced. This perhaps makes it one of the world's most complex humanitarian emergencies. That's according to the International Committee of Red Cross. With that, soaring prices are affecting the livelihood of these displaced Nigerians. More details in this report. Millions of people have fled from their homes and lost their livelihood. That's because of the ongoing conflict in northeast Nigeria. Sadly, soaring inflation is not making the situation better. They can hardly eat. The inflation rate climbed a four-year record of 18% in March 2021. The International Committee of the Red Cross ICROC provides microeconomic grants to vulnerable group of people who lost their income due to the ongoing armed conflict. However, the steep inflation of the past year has hit them hard. Meet Aisha Omar, a widowed mother of eight from Borno State, who was affected by the conflict that left her and her children displaced. Ailiko Lomihu is a green trader, has a similar experience. ICROC deputy head of sub-delication, Sara Aum Momohi, spoke on how these Nigerians from the northeast have suffered continuous conflict and insecurity. And here is what ICROC plans to do in helping these communities restore their livelihoods. Today, the strategy at the ICROC is to continue exchanges and conversations with communities, authorities, but also other humanitarian actors on the ground to find sustainable ways to help communities restore the dignity they once had by restoring their livelihood, taking back their livelihood. As of 2020, more than 16,000 people had lost their income because of these conflicts. They have received cash for investment through the ICROC micro-economic grant to start a business. Also, about 173 entrepreneurs received grants from the Tony Ailu Mellu Foundation partnership. Hopefully, these gestures would go some length in helping the affected people cope with the impact. Inga Zika, OHHC, for Plus TV Africa. Honga is on the rise worldwide. The combination of conflicts, COVID-19, increased food prices and effects of climate change and decimating livelihoods and access to food. A call on both the government, the humanitarian community, the United Nations and non-governmental organizations to join efforts to address the issue. Now, the Gwawana of Lamode community of Adamawas State, northeast Nigeria, has urged the chief of AMI staff to call the officers and men of the 23 Brigade Command to order to avoid chaos in the community. People of Gwawana community come out en masse to bid farewell to God Jacob and also demand for justice over his untimely death. Officers and men of the 23 Brigade Command in the community have been fingered in this ugly incident that claimed some six lives. The Army Public Relations Officer of the Brigade Command earlier released a statement debunking the allegation. Now, members of this community want the quick intervention of the chief of AMI staff to check the unabated maltreatment of community members by the Army. When this incident took place, Amadou Moli Funtri was at the scene. He went to the clinic. He personally go around the wards. He personally sent his own little assistants. So it would be surprising for the Nigeria Army to come out and say they have not shot anybody. I personally took those boys to the maternity. I was right there in the maternity. Those Army were even approaching me with their guns. When I called the deputy governor, the deputy governor alerted the Brigade Commander. I think they were called. Then they withdrawed. So they have no reason whatsoever to say they are not involved in it. After all, you can say this is the evidence. One among the boys is dead. Today we just buried him. They shoot about six of them. But the following day, the soldier denied that there was nothing like that. But while my brother is one of the deputies, you know, it's something of pain, of which there is no one that you could take this thing to. And you just have to bear it. Police Daniel, who is the sole administrator of Waianna Development Area, appeals to the Mawa State government to also help as much as possible to help broker peace in the community. There is need for peace. And I also call on the government to address the Nigeria Army that are at the gate of the company. Yes, the Army are there to maintain law and order. But where they cross their bounds, it will be another thing again. Because we are made to understand that the bull people there, but from my findings, most of the people that were bullied, they may have offended them in one way or the other. But we are also calling, let there be diplomacy. The appeal has gone out from Waianna community to the authorities once again. The people are now hoping that their cry for help will not be ignored any longer. You're watching Plus reports. There is more after this break. Thanks for staying with us. Now on death toll in the attacks on Miango and neighboring communities in Blattostead is more than 40. The native irregular people are accusing felonies of attacking them on two days after the widely reported violence of Saturday, August 2nd, 2021. Over 40 farmlands with a variety of crops were completely destroyed and several household items and domestic animals were cut away. Ngozi Kaohai just say has more. Over the weekend, the Erie Way Development Association released a press statement notifying the world about an attack that left at least seven persons dead in more than 250 houses raising some communities in Miango, Chivdom. David St. Malison is a youth activist and a spokesman of the Erie Way community. He joined Plus TV Africa on our breakfast show where he explained that another attack took place on Monday leading to the death of more than 40 people in total. The rest are more than 250 houses in their foresaid villages. Not fewer than seven people were killed as at on the day I released that press statement. But after my press statement, more four dead bodies were recovered making a total of 11 people that were killed in that particular incident. Yesterday night, an attack, the rest, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 communities and 2,000 households in that community just yesterday night. He also revealed that heathers hired mercenaries to carry out a coordinated attack. There is a place called, let's say this is not a forest, it's a rocky sandbissar. A rocky sandbissar in Platte State. This is where these people hired machineries. The Platte State chairman of Miati Alakatu Breeders Association of Nigeria, Mohammed Abdulahi, was also on the breakfast show. According to him, the Erie Way community attacked Fulane Heathers three days before the Saturday killings and raising of houses. It started on Wednesday. We had the attacks, Rafim Pawna and eight, nine cows and then one heather which on Friday mocks are not able to attend their Friday prayers because of the afraid of attacks by Erie Way. The latest incident in Platte State is bringing back memories of just a few years back when Nigerians regularly heard of attacks and counterattacks between farmers and heathers. In all the violence, security agencies are always blinked for not responding appropriately or taking sides. Critics also point to the inability of the state and federal government to punish perpetrators of these attacks. Many are looking forward to this changing with the latest incident. Gozika, Ohio, Chessie, for Plus TV Africa. The National Youth Service Corps has organized its first environmental sanitation day in all local government areas across Nigeria. This program was organized due to finders from the recently concluded Nationwide Health Initiative Rural Dwellers program, which indicated that greater percentage of ailments recorded and treated across the country had a direct link to poor sanitation and hygiene practices. The Director-General of NYSC, General Shuaibu Ibrahim, has approved the observance of the NYSC National Environmental Sanitation Day, owing to the fact that the Nigerian government has always relied on the scene to take the lead in various fronts, especially in areas of sensitization and mobilization of communities at the grassroots. This sanitation exercise has created more awareness. We've used the opportunity to sensitize the community on the essence of hygiene and cleanliness. If you're aware of our program, the Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers, you realize that the last one we just held, we realized that there was a link between poor sanitation and most of the diseases and the illness that were treated. So that is what bettered this program. In Lagos, we visited the Atyosa-1 local government, where coppers were assigned to clean various locations, including the Obaubu Neurus Palace. What we're trying to do is to teach the leaders of tomorrow with the youth that we should assist with cleaning up our environment. We should assist if maybe other people aren't doing it. We should assist and get the job done. I think it's important that we as youth service members continue to impact the society by helping around, letting people know that the environment needs saving, basically, and it keeps us in check. It just makes people more conscious of the environment. Cleaner society is better for everybody. We all know cleanliness is close to Godliness, so if we're all in areas where parts are dirty, parts are a little bit clean, you know, it's always good to put in effort to clean the environment. The Ballet of Oniru commends this program and expresses his gratitude to the NYSE scheme. In fact, it is a great pleasure having this type of occasion in our palace today. By the youth coppers, in fact, it's a great thing. The National Environmental Sanitation Day, organized by NYSE, is a program that should be encouraged. We look forward to the continuity of this program as it promotes a cleaner, safer and better Nigeria. Nema Iberedike plus TV Africa. While the exercise is one of the several ways the scheme is given back to society and also exemplifying her motto of service and humanity. Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akina Bayoumi says Nigeria will be one of the best medically-rich countries in the world if only medical professionals abroad can return home. Professor Bayoumi said this at the State Chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association's scientific conference, tagged medical practice and the law, emerging challenges for the Nigerian doctors. The emerging challenges for the Nigerian doctor vis-à-vis practice and the law in improving the health indices through a functional system form the major discuss at this conference. Lagos State Health Commissioner Professor Bayoumi speaks on the Delta COVID-19 variant and residents Dr. Strike. He says the variant is under control with Nigerian professionals having huge diasporic influence. In Lagos, the Lagos State Biobank suggests that we have quite a large number of international COVID variants circulating in our environment. We're doing a lot of work to be able to characterize them. So in Lagos State, we take the medical fraternity very seriously. We've tried our best to address all the issues, all the issues. Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association Lagos Chapter, Dr. Adetunji Adenikon, laments that there is an increasing case of alleged medical malpractice and negligence in Lagos State. He says the emerging challenges will afford all stakeholders the opportunity to appraise development in the sector. Mirals of challenges of issue of medical negligence, perceived most times as medical negligence, though they may be actual. And we are also being faced with a lot of social media tryout of medical issues, the case of medical errors or malpractice or something quackery as the case is. On the ongoing strike and expectation from the federal government, enemy Lagos chairman and presidents of resident doctors in different hospitals and Lagos bear their minds. So that this collateral damage can be reduced to the barest minimum and I appeal and pray that this should be the shortest of strikes I've ever had. We need them to do something to act, to keep to their promises, to keep to their words and we don't want people to be paying leave service to think that essential to the Nigerian populace. We're going to see a lot of action, but we haven't seen that, so we would love to see that action. We'd love to see resident doctors who were on the give-miss platform, they were supposed to be captured in the new IP platform who would love to see them being captured immediately. Dr Adenekon said that the theme could not have come at a better time when almost all unfavorable outcomes of medical care were seen as consequence of medical and dental practitioners negligence. Destin Momo for Plus TV Africa. In the view of Nigeria's continuous suspension of Twitter and recent moves to push through two bills to amend the National Broadcasting Act and the Nigeria Press Council Act, the U.S. Consulate in general has organized a program to discuss the new and continuing threats to press freedom and freedom of expression in Nigeria. Fumi Onajife followed the report. The U.S. Consulate's event on press freedom and right of expression, opened with the U.S. Consul-General Claire Perangelo, emphasizing on the value of promoting and protecting a free press, has an essential pillar of responsive and unaccountable democracy. The Biden-Harris administration is committed to putting human rights at the heart of our foreign policy, and that includes press freedom and freedom of expression. I know that you all agree with me that the free press is a core pillar to any successful democracy. Ensuring that the media is not stifled is not just the responsibility of the government, but the media itself, which needs to look inward. Ethics is often personal. Individuals decide to be ethical in the discharge of their duties, and that is what we should emphasize. If we have more people holding themselves to account in newsrooms in a matter of time, the people who kill stories will reduce in number. It is important that the media understands their legal power and the proposals which they fulfill in the society. The duty to make government an elected or selected politicians accountable is not just the duty of the media alone. The media also has the duty to assist the people to make the government accountable. Too often, the media may not understand that that duty is even more onerous and sacrosanct than the duty that they have, because there are some things the media will not be able to do by itself in holding the government accountable. The need to continue to push for events like this to encourage the media to speak up was emphasized. We hope that the capacity building, sending journalists to the United States for exchange programs, will really help build the capacity so journalists can report and keep reporting until people are really seeing that difference is being made, because journalism cannot stop. The media cannot stop. Social media will not stop. And so it's really incumbent upon all of us to keep pushing and making sure that press freedom is respected and press freedom is expanded. Well, our expectation here is that a government should be genuinely committed to transparency, accountability and anti-corruption and the protection of the rule of law. It's a wrap now, but before we go, let's remind you to follow us at PLOS TV Africa on Facebook and Instagram, and do subscribe to our YouTube channel at PLOS TV Africa. I'm Jacinta Obupu. Thanks for watching.