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Why pregnant women with previous CS shouldn’t use PHCs for antenatal care

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Maternal health experts have urged pregnant women with a history of two caesarean sections to register and receive antenatal care in secondary and tertiary health facilities rather than in Primary Healthcare Centres.

They noted that pregnant women with such a history have a high-risk pregnancy and need expert care and facilities that the PHCs do not have.

The gynaecologists, in separate interviews with PUNCH Healthwise, emphasised that early antenatal registration at the appropriate centre would help to prevent delays and complications, which could be life-threatening for both mother and baby.

The reproductive health experts also urge expectant mothers with hypertension, diabetes before or during pregnancy or a history of miscarriages to register and attend antenatal care in higher-level facilities such as general and tertiary hospitals.

They urged every pregnant woman to register and attend antenatal care in registered hospitals to ensure they receive the best care and prevent avoidable complications and deaths.

PUNCH Healthwise reports that pregnant women should register and begin antenatal care as soon as pregnancy is confirmed with a positive test, ideally within the first eight to 12 weeks.

PUNCH Healthwise also reports that expectant mothers who have undergone two caesarean sections should not attempt vaginal birth to prevent the rupture of the uterus and bleeding.

Severe bleeding after childbirth is the leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide, according to the World Health Organisation.

High blood pressure disorders during pregnancy, infections and complications from unsafe abortions are contributors to maternal deaths.

The 2018 National Demographic and Health Survey puts Nigeria’s maternal mortality rate at 512 deaths per 100,000 live births.

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Speaking with PUNCH Healthwise on the matter, a professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State, Chris Aimakhu, explained that while low-risk pregnancies could be safely managed at primary healthcare facilities, women with high risk pregnancies, including those who have previously undergone caesarean deliveries, need specialist care, which is available in general and tertiary healthcare centres.

Aimakhu said, “Every pregnant woman should access antenatal care. But those with high-risk conditions such as previous CS, hypertension or diabetes must be managed in facilities that can handle emergencies. A primary health centre does not have the capacity to perform a caesarean section. If such women are booked there, it puts both mother and child at serious risk.”

He noted that many primary healthcare centres, especially in rural communities, are poorly staffed and often run without doctors, midwives or round-the-clock services, leaving them unequipped to handle obstetric emergencies.

“In situations where a woman with a previous CS registers in a PHC, and complications arise, delays in referral may lead to avoidable maternal or neonatal deaths,” the don added.

The gynaecologist further asserted that antenatal care was not optional, lamenting that Nigeria still records high maternal mortality due to preventable causes such as postpartum bleeding and pregnancy-induced hypertension.

The maternal expert, however, clarified that not all pregnant women need to register at teaching hospitals, stating that women who register in PHCs and are in need of specialist care should be immediately referred to the appropriate centres.

“Low-risk patients can safely receive care in PHCs or secondary hospitals if those centres know what they can handle. But once a patient has a history of caesarean deliveries, she belongs to the high-risk category.

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“The key is not only access but timely access. If a facility knows it cannot handle a case, it must not keep the woman until it is too late,” Aimakhu asserted.

Also, the president of the Association for Fertility and Reproductive Health, Professor Preye Fiebai, dispelled the notion that all pregnant women must seek antenatal care in tertiary hospitals, stressing that well-equipped primary health centres can effectively manage uncomplicated pregnancies.

“Antenatal care doesn’t have to be in a tertiary hospital. If we have good primary health care, you can start from there. Ideally, the essence of primary care is to identify those who require higher care and then refer them, but most people go straight to the teaching hospital. However, you can still receive good antenatal care if the setup of your primary healthcare system is good and you have qualified people to run it, and you can start from there.

“Mind you, some people go to private hospitals also and if you can afford it, why not?” the reproductive health expert said.

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Fans mourn late Nollywood actor Alex Ekubo

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Fans and followers of late Nollywood actor Alex Ekubo across social media platforms have expressed sadness over his demise, describing the incident as shocking and heartbreaking.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Nigerian entertainment industry has been thrown into mourning since Tuesday when news of the actor’s passing surfaced online.

Social media posts by his close colleagues, and trending media reports, stated that he died after a prolonged battle with cancer.

The incident has continued to generate frenzy on social media platforms, with fans across Nigeria and beyond pouring in condolence messages and tributes to the late thespian.

A fan, @Mr. Rekindled of AFC, asked: “Is this some late April Fool joke. God, what kind of news is this? Rest in peace bro I don’t even know what to type”.

@perpetua Ebubech wrote: “Rest well Alex I am done pressurising myself and being ungrateful. Being alive is enough. Aaaaaah Alex”.

@Amed Oshiorenua commented: “This one hurts me ooo”.

@sheismirah_bakr noted that: “Indeed, every soul shall taste death. May we leave behind kindness, love, and good memories May we be celebrated while we are alive, not only mourned when we are gone”.

@oheneba_nanayere_joyce wrote: “Ooo my God, have mercy on us”.

@SAMPSOLO on X wrote: “Omoh, sometimes when I hear such news I just sit down and think about life.

“Everything we’re struggling for can just end in one moment. It’s really scary”.

@nyarkowai23 said: “Aww fine boy. May his soul rest in peace”.

@_emefaaa wrote: “This is really sad, may his soul rest in peace”.

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@ceeyahs_xclusivcollection commented: “Social media makes a lot of us look like we are living happily when we are actually fighting our battles. Remember we are all passing through something. Stay humble, stay kind”.

@DOG3tt said: “What’s wrong with Nollywood, why is everyone dying young?”

@bbelleamieeee wrote: “I loved him in Keeping My Man with Ramsey and Ini. Sad news… rest easy Alex”.

Ekubo’s passing has also attracted tributes from his colleagues and other celebrities, with many describing him as a talented actor and a kind-hearted friend.

Veteran actor Richard Mofe-Damijo wrote: “Life is not only fickle, it can also feel unreal. Even as I type this, I still struggle to fully process it, and it deeply saddens me to hear this news.

“Rest in peace to a truly great soul. You came, you saw, and you conquered. We are proud of the life you lived, the journey you embraced, and the legacy you leave behind.

“Sleep well, our dear Alex.”

Actor Bolanle Ninalowo also wrote: “Rest on, Alex. May God heal your family and us all.”

Singer Peter Okoye simply posted: “RIP”.

Actor Chinedu Ikedieze wrote: “Jesus, how?”

In a post on his X page, human rights activist and politician Omoyele Sowore described the late actor as a “rare talent”.

“My profound condolences to the family, friends, and fans of Nollywood star Alexx Ekubo, who I understand passed away after a prolonged battle with cancer.

“I never met him personally, but I still cannot forget a movie of his I watched on an Emirates flight from New York to Dubai en route to Nairobi.

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“He was a rare talent whose presence lit up the screen effortlessly. May he rest in power.”

NAN reports that Alex Ekubo, born on April 10, 1986, was widely regarded as one of Nollywood’s most versatile actors, known for his performances in several hit films and television productions.

However, his prolonged absence from the public had raised concerns among fans and colleagues, as he stayed away from social media and public events for a long time.

His last post on Instagram was made in December 2024, shortly after reports emerged that his engagement to US-based model Fancy Acholonu had been called off.

(NAN)

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Why I assaulted my daughter, Ilebaye – Father

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Father of former Big Brother Naija All Stars winner, Ilebaye Odiniya, Emmanuel Odiniya, has broken his silence over the viral altercation involving his daughter, claiming he was provoked before allegedly assaulting her during a family confrontation.

In a voice note purportedly from Odiniya, and shared on Facebook on Sunday by Kogi-based journalist, Jeremiah Promise Enemona Ocheme, now circulating online, the father said the incident was not driven by hatred for his daughter but by frustration over what he described as her changed behaviour after winning the reality TV show.

“I want to put the records straight that what led to that incident was not that I don’t love my daughter. She is one of my best children,” he said.

He claimed he made sacrifices and mobilised support for her emergence as the winner of the BBNaija All Stars edition.

“During her time in the Big Brother Naija house, I contributed a lot. I stood by my daughter and made sure people voted for her massively. I used my influence and connections, including governors and other people, to support her until she won,” he stated.

According to him, their relationship allegedly deteriorated after her victory, accusing the reality star of becoming disrespectful and physically aggressive towards him.

“After she came out and won, she changed. Ilebaye stopped listening to me. I would book her appointments five to six times in a week and she wouldn’t give me audience. She stopped regarding me as her father,” he alleged.

The father further criticised her lifestyle, particularly her alleged cosmetic procedures.

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“I warned her against getting cosmetic surgery — face reconstruction with fillers and BBL. She’s too young for that,” he said.

Emmanuel also alleged that his daughter had physically attacked him on previous occasions.

“She has hit me twice, and I didn’t do anything to her. One day she took an AC hanger and hit me with it till blood started gushing out of my body,” he claimed.

Speaking on the latest confrontation, he alleged that the reality TV star assaulted him first before the situation escalated.

“In this recent incident, she insulted me, hit me first with a sea hanger, causing bleeding, pushed me, and then broke an electric lantern on my head,” he said.

He also accused her of neglecting him financially despite his health challenges.

“I am very sick and needed to go for medical treatment in Dubai. I called Ilebaye to help me with some money and promised to refund her. She said she didn’t have money. But I saw her video spraying bundles of naira at a colleague’s wedding,” he alleged.

The father further alleged that his daughter negatively influenced her younger brother and interfered in his marriage.

“She has also influenced her younger brother with drugs, and he was expelled from school because of it. She once advised me to divorce her mother,” he added.

Despite the accusations, Emmanuel maintained that he still loved his daughter and wanted reconciliation.

“I still love my daughter deeply. I want her to change and do better. I ask for prayers from Nigerians. The police have already intervened and settled the matter,” he said.

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PUNCH Online had earlier reported that Ilebaye, alongside members of her family, including her father and younger brothers, were hospitalised following the confrontation at their Abuja residence.

The incident became public after the reality TV star shared an emotional livestream video crying for help, sparking concern among fans and followers online.

Confirming the development, the spokesperson for the Federal Capital Territory Police Command, Josephine Adeh, disclosed that all parties involved sustained injuries and were receiving medical treatment.

“The man is in the hospital; he is sick. All of them were badly injured and are all in the hospital,” Adeh had said.

She also stated that the siblings were under police protective custody while investigations continued into the matter.

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Kwara concludes airlift of pilgrims for 2026 Hajj

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The Kwara State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has concluded the airlift of intending pilgrims for the 2026 Hajj exercise with the departure of the last batch of 223 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.

The pilgrims departed aboard Max Air from the Babatunde Idi-Agbon International Airport, Ilorin, at about 6:05 am on Saturday.

The development was contained in a statement issued on Saturday by the Press Secretary of the Board, Sodiq Abdulmumin Folarin.

Speaking before the departure, the Chairman of the Board, Prof. Mashood-Mahmud Jimba, thanked Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for supporting the successful transportation of the pilgrims.

The Executive Secretary of the Board, Abdulsalam Abdulkadir, advised the pilgrims “to be good ambassadors of the state and country at large while in Saudi Arabia.”

Also speaking, the Amirul-Hajj and Etsu Tsaragi, Aliyu Abdullahi Kpotwa, urged the pilgrims to pray for peace and unity in the country and the state.

The final batch was accompanied by Jimba, Abdulkadir, Kpotwa and other state officials.

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