These are the stories that drove conversation today.

The Nigerian Senate Thursday, expressed concern over the spread of Lassa Fever to fourteen states.

It listed the affected states to include Edo, Ondo, Ebonyi, Nasarawa, Imo, Kogi, Bauchi, Anambra, Benue, Federal Capital Territory, Abia, Ekiti and Delta.

It also said that the outbreak of the disease which was first recorded on January 5, 2018, has risen to 363 as against the lesser number of cases recorded in previous years.

The Governor of Edo, Godwin Obaseki, has ordered the immediate release of N100 million as first tranche payment for the procurement of four dialysis machines, ventilators, Personal Protective Equipment, drugs and other consumables required for the treatment of Lassa Fever patients.

Obaseki’s order followed report of the rising number of Lassa Fever patients brought from across the country to the Institute of Lassa Fever Research and Control, in Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH), Edo, the only specialist facility for the treatment of the disease in Nigeria and the West Africa sub-region.

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The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris has warned state governments and Commissioners of Police against equipping militia and vigilante groups with prohibited firearms.

The IGP also directed Commissioners of Police in charge of Commands to monitor the activities of state governments as the country enters into a political era.

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At least six persons have been killed and several others injured in fresh night attack on Kaguru village in Birnin Gwari local government area, Kaduna.

However, policemen have been deployed to the area to fish out the perpetrators of the crime.

According to an indigene of the area, Abdullahi Usman, the gunmen suspected to be herdsmen attacked the village on Wednesday night.

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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has unveiled the Coalition for Nigeria Movement in Abeokuta, Ogun.

Accompanied by the former governor of Cross River, Donald Duke and the former governor of Osun, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Obasanjo filled a membership registration form at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) secretariat in Oke-Ilowo, Abeokuta.

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In accordance with the provisions of Section 8(1) (2) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) (Establishment) Act 2007, President Muhammadu Buhari has nominated Edward Lametek Adamu to the Senate for confirmation as Deputy Governor of the CBN.

This was contained in a letter dated January 26, 2018 to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

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And stories from around the world…

Kenya‘s High Court has suspended the government’s shutdown of three of the country’s largest private TV channels.

KTN, NTV, and Citizen TV were taken off the air over plans to broadcast Raila Odinga‘s inauguration as the “People’s President” on Tuesday.

The court has suspended the ban for 14 days while the case is heard.

But according to BBC, the stations remain off-air and there is no sign the government will comply with the ruling.

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Rihanna is due to appear at a high-level summit in Senegal tomorrow but a religious association have declared her persona non grata, according to Jeune Afrique (in French).

“No to Freemasonry and Homosexuality“, an association of around 30 religious groups in Senegal, accuse the pop star of using masonic symbolism and being a member of the so-called Illuminati.

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Campaigners for the rights of EU citizens in the UK have predicted “utter chaos” in Britain after Theresa May vowed to stop freedom of movement for all Europeans coming to the country next March.

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The relatives of some of the thousands of Nazi victims who were tortured and murdered in the Hamburg headquarters of the Gestapo have accused authorities and property developers of insulting their memory following the transformation of the building into a luxury complex with scant reference to its past.

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US President Donald Trump has wrongly claimed that his State of the Union speech was watched by a record number of people.

He tweeted:

Thank you for all of the nice compliments and reviews on the State of the Union speech. 45.6 million people watched, the highest number in history. @FoxNews beat every other Network, for the first time ever, with 11.7 million people tuning in. Delivered from the heart!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 1, 2018