Foreign

2018 NNPC Science quiz champion, Tony Kabilan Okeke, 5 other students develop AI medical App in US

Published

3 years ago

April 11, 2023

Nigerian students in different parts of the world keep making impressive strides in different disciplines. Couple of weeks ago, 20 years old Tony Kabilan Okeke, who won the national champion trophy of the 2018, NNPC national science quiz competition, presently studying Biomedical Engineering in Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylania, USA, collaborated with five other international students (four Nigerians and one Indian) to develop an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Medical Assistance App, which they named *Meddibia*.

Team leader Tony Kabilan Okeke

Okeke’s team, named, *Team Meddibia*, comprises Tony Kabilan Okeke, Dishika Goel, Elochukwu Enwerem, Dalu Okonkwo, Michael Moemeke and Victor Uzo, all of whom are international students in the US.

The team’s project, *Meddibia*, was one of the ten AI projects that won at the Philly Codefest 2023, a contest that took place, this 12th March, in Philadelphia, Pennsylania, USA at the event of the 10th year of the software and hardware hackathon hosted by College of Computing & Informatics, Drexel University, Philadelphia.

On the 12th of March close of the 2023 Philly Codefest, held at Quorum within the University City Science Center, a group of judges made their way around the room, listening intently to each group as they presented on the project they’d developed over two days. “The judges then moved to a separate room to determine a winner, which took longer than expected, given how impressive all the projects were this year,” said Dave Raiken, Assistant Director of Operations, Events and Logistics at the event hosted by Drexel University’s College of Computing and Informatics (CCI). Codefest just celebrated its 10th year, once again welcoming students and professionals of all skill levels across the US to the weekend-long hackathon. This year’s Comcast-sponsored event saw 46 teams create technical projects aligning with the theme, “AI Everywhere” — that is, “real-world, scalable software and hardware solutions to improve and expand artificial intelligence’s positive societal impacts.”

Participants started coding on Saturday morning, 11/03/23 and had until 6 p.m. that day to submit their idea. Then, they had until noon on Sunday, 12/03/23, to complete their project before judging.

Presenting on the project, *Meddibia,* Tony Okeke on behalf of his Team members, explained as follows, starting from their inspiration for the project:

“MEDDIBIA: Your Personal Medical Assistant

*Inspiration*

The inspiration behind our latest project came from a deep desire to improve the accessibility of medical care for people living in rural areas. As developers from third-world countries ourselves, we understood all too well the struggles faced by those who lack access to proper medical facilities.

Our team wanted to create a solution that would bridge the gap between these individuals and medical professionals, so we set out to create an app that would allow users to receive medical advice and diagnoses using machine learning models.

By inputting their symptoms into the app, users can receive predictions for potential diseases and conditions, allowing them to make informed decisions about seeking medical treatment. We believe that this app has the potential to be particularly beneficial for those in rural areas who may not have easy access to medical doctors or facilities.

For us, this project was an opportunity to use our skills and expertise to make a real difference in the lives of people in our own communities and beyond. We’re excited to continue developing and improving this app and to see it make a positive impact on the world.

*What it does*

MEDDIBIA is a personal AI health assistant that puts greater control over health in the hands of users living in rural communities. With MEDDIBIA, users can describe their symptoms to a chat assistant and receive a likely diagnosis, along with more information about their diagnosis and symptoms. Additionally, MEDDIBIA enables users to get diagnosis for skin conditions and aberrations by simply taking a picture of the affected area. This feature is especially important for those with limited access to healthcare professionals or specialized facilities. By providing personalized care and making it easier to manage health conditions, MEDDIBIA empowers users to take control of their health and improve their quality of life.

*How we built it*

Our team utilized cutting-edge machine learning techniques to develop an innovative solution for identifying and diagnosing skin conditions and diseases. To accurately identify skin conditions, we experimented with various pre-trained models, including VGG16 and EfficientNet, to extract features from images from the dermnet dataset. We then trained and evaluated deep neural network classifiers, ultimately selecting a model with approximately 70% accuracy. For symptom identification, we employed GPT-3, a state-of-the-art language model, to preprocess natural language input from users into symptom labels, which served as input to our machine-learning model. This approach resulted in about 87% accuracy in predicting disease labels. To further assist users, we used GPT-3 to provide helpful descriptions of the predicted disease. Our app’s backend was built using Flask API and deployed on Heroku, while the cross-platform frontend was developed using Flutter, making our app easily accessible to users across multiple devices.

*Challenges we ran into*

The construction of MEDDIBIA was an interesting and challenging task. The first problem we encountered was locating suitable datasets for our machine learning algorithms. We needed to obtain a dataset with over 40 diseases and appropriately identify them using their symptoms for our disease classification algorithm. To maximize machine learning, we needed to obtain a dataset with rich photos for our skin disease detection model. The next problem was to discover effective machine learning techniques to use with our dataset to produce models. To acquire accurate findings, we needed to determine the machine learning technique that performed best with our dataset. Another difficulty we encountered was integrating our machine models to our mobile application. Creating a machine learning model is one thing, but we also needed to guarantee that our model was user-friendly and easily accessible via our application. Constructing MEDDIBIA was difficult, but we were able to overcome the obstacles that the journey posed in order to complete our project, MEDDIBIA.

*Accomplishments that we’re proud of*

We are proud of the knowledge we gained from this experience. Building MEDDIBIA was challenging and the process allowed us gain useful knowledge on several technologies. In addition. We are proud of being able to create such a rich project within 24 hours. In 24 hours we were able to create a project that uses machine learning to predict diseases users might have, using their symptoms as values.

*What we learned*

We learned how to integrate flask APIs to a Flutter application while developing MEDDIBIA. Our application is built on Flask, which connects machine learning models to a Flutter application. We discovered how to leverage openAI APIs. Our application makes advantage of openAI APIs to fine-tune user input before passing it to our model. We also learned about the multinomial naive bayes machine learning method, Flutter, and Flask.

*What’s next for MEDDIBIA*

Looking to the future, we plan to patent the app and suggest its usage to nearby hospitals and clinics for potential treatments and connect patients directly with healthcare providers through MEDDIBIA. These features will personalize care, streamline the process of accessing medical assistance, and provide the latest treatment options. We are excited to continue our work in revolutionizing healthcare and improving health outcomes for our users.”

Out of the 40 entries submitted to Phily Codefest 2023 at Drexel University by Comcast, Team Meddibia emerged the winner Philly Codefest 2023 Collaborative Team Award with a price money of USD5000.

It will be recalled that Tony Kabilan Okeke came to national limelight in 2018 when, at 16, he emerged the national champion in the prestigious Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) National Science Quiz Competition, beating over 14000 other Nigerian science student participants. He went ahead to haul 8 As (distinctions) in 2019 WAEC Exams, beside several Distinctions in 2018 IGSCE (London GCE) before he headed to the US where, at 16, he was admitted for accelerated B.Sc./M.Sc. program in Biomedical Engineering in the College in Philadelphia, Pennsylania, USA.

He has continually posted a brilliant performance in his academics since his enrolment in the University, having, in the past 4 years, earned himself inclusion on the *Dean’s List* of the college, a list that, metaphorically, is the exclusive club of first class brains in America universities. A letter dated January 19, 2023, to Tony Okeke from the office of Paul W. Brandt, Scd, MD, DrPH, Dean & Distinguished University Professor, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylania, reads, ” Dear Tony, Congratulations. Your academic performance has earned you a place in Drexel University Dean’s list … Only a limited number of Biomedical Engineering students are able to meet the requirements for inclusion on the Dean’s list … making you a member of a select group of academically outstanding individuals.”

Earlier in 2021, Tony joined the exclusive club of US National Engineering Honor Society via a letter of invitation dated 22/10/21 from officers, members and advisors of Pennsylvania Chapter of the Society. The letter read, “Your distinguished academic record allows us to extend you an invitation for membership … You have distinguished yourself

as an exceptional Engineering student and one deserving of recognition”

As an undergraduate, he has researched and co-authored several publications with America professors published in several high profile American science journals. Some of these publications can be found at: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=kPKT6SsAAAAJ&hl=en.

Tony is of mixed parentage, born to Emeka & Dr. Suhanyah Okeke, a Nigerian Lawyer and an Indian Surgeon.

Foreign

NOT GUILTY: Parents Seek Review as UK Court Convicts Nigerian Student of Robbery

Published

1 week ago

June 26, 2026

Everydaynewsngr

The parents of a Nigerian student convicted of robbery and blackmail in the United Kingdom have appealed to the authorities to review the verdict, insisting that their son was wrongly convicted and is innocent of all the charges against him.

Mr Aderinkola Akinrinola and Mrs Olayinka Akinrinola made the appeal in a statement released in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Thursday, following the conviction of their son, Oluwatobiloba Akinrinola, by a UK court on June 19, 2026.

He is currently being held in a prison in Nottingham pending his sentencing, scheduled for July 27.

The distraught parents alleged that the conviction was based largely on circumstantial evidence and their son’s association with the principal suspect in the case.

They explained that their son met Richile Vagnu shortly after resuming his studies as a first-year student at Leicester University in September 2025, describing their relationship as that of acquaintances rather than close associates.

“Our son was present at the party where the incident took place, but he was never involved in the robbery,” the parents said.

They claimed that some of the victims testified in court that Oluwatobiloba was not among those who robbed them and that he only briefly entered the room where the incident occurred, asked what was happening and left after making it clear that he did not want to be involved.

The parents further stated that investigators found evidence of money transfers made by victims to accounts linked to other suspects, but found no such transactions in their son’s bank records.

They also alleged that CCTV footage presented during the trial did not place their son at the scene of the alleged robbery, apart from showing him arriving at the party.

According to them, the police were unable to produce some of the suspects in court because they allegedly failed to honour police invitations.

The family further claimed that one of the victims testified that Oluwatobiloba appeared to be trying to assist those affected rather than participating in the crime.

They disclosed that shortly after the incident, their son came across a social media video that allegedly linked him to the attack.

Concerned by the allegations, he reportedly contacted the police voluntarily and offered to present himself for questioning.

According to the parents, officers informed him at the time that he was not considered a suspect.

Describing their son as a calm and sociable young man with no previous criminal record, the couple appealed to the UK authorities to re-examine the case.

They also called on relevant authorities, legal institutions and human rights organisations to look into the circumstances surrounding the conviction and ensure that justice is served.

The statement read in part, “Our son, Oluwatobiloba Akinrinola, was wrongfully convicted of robbery and blackmail. We are Mr Aderinkola Akinrinola and Mrs Olayinka Akinrinola, parents of Oluwatobiloba Akinrinola, who was wrongfully convicted of robbery and blackmail by the UK government on June 19, 2026. He has been remanded in Nottingham Prison pending sentencing on July 27, 2026.

“Our son is innocent of the charges against him. The police argument against him is that he is guilty by association with the prime suspect. The only evidence presented in court against our son is a picture he took with Richile Vagnu, the prime suspect, and CCTV footage showing him entering the venue of the party where the robbery took place on November 21, 2025. Oluwatobiloba Akinrinola met Richile Vagnu in October after resuming school in September as a fresher at Leicester University. They were, at best, acquaintances.

The parents’ statement added, “While our son was present at the party where the robbery took place, he was never part of the robbery. Some of the victims also confirmed this in court. As recorded in his statement, he briefly entered the room where the robbery was taking place, questioned the prime suspect about what was happening and then left, insisting that he did not want to be part of it.

“The robbery victims said they were robbed of their jackets and footwear, and none of the items was found in our son’s possession after police searched his apartment. The police said they found evidence that money was transferred by the victims to the accounts of the other suspects, Vagnu and Ayomide Ibraheem, but no such evidence was found in our son’s bank records.

“The court insists our son is guilty but allowed other suspects to go scot-free, including Ayomide Ibraheem, whom victims identified as the person preventing them from leaving the room during the robbery. In all the CCTV footage played by the police in court, our son did not appear at the scene of the crime. He was only seen entering the party. The police also failed to produce the other suspects in court, despite allegations that they received money from the victims. The police said they did not honour invitations.

“Victims testified that our son was not involved. In fact, one of the victims said he was trying to help them. A few days after the robbery incident, our son saw a misleading video online posted by a TikTok influencer linking him to the attack. He immediately contacted the police and told them he was willing to come in for questioning because he was not involved in the robbery. The police told him not to bother because he was not a suspect.

“Our son is a calm and sociable young man who has never been linked to any criminal activity before now. Please help us. We are devastated. We simply want the world to hear our side of the story. Our son is about to suffer for a crime he did not commit. His life is about to be destroyed for something he did not do. We want the UK government to review the case and ensure that justice is done.”

Foreign

State police will protect persecuted Nigerian Christians – US

Published

1 week ago

June 25, 2026

Everydaynewsngr

A United States lawmaker, Riley Moore, has welcomed the Nigerian Senate’s passage of the Constitution Alteration Bill seeking to establish state police, saying the reform would help states better protect citizens, particularly persecuted Christians.

Moore, who represents West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, made the remarks in a post on his X handle on Wednesday.

His reaction followed the Senate’s approval of the bill which seeks to decentralise policing by allowing states to establish their own police services alongside the Nigeria Police Force.

Moore, who has previously spoken on attacks against Christians in Nigeria, said the reform was one he had advocated publicly and privately.

“I’m encouraged to see Nigeria’s Senate approve legislation to establish state-level police forces—a reform I’ve called for publicly and privately since I first started investigating the genocide against Christians in Nigeria.

“I can’t stress how critical this law that will empower states to protect their own citizens and reducing dependence on decision makers in Abuja is to the effort to defend persecuted Christians and address insecurity,” he wrote.

The U.S. lawmaker also commended President Bola Tinubu for backing the proposal but noted that the amendment must still secure the approval of at least two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly before it can take effect.

“President Tinubu deserves credit for pushing it forward, but now we need 2/3rds of the states to ratify before it will take effect,” he added.

PUNCH Online reports that the Senate on Wednesday passed the Constitution Alteration Bill seeking to establish state police across the federation after more than two-thirds of senators voted in support during a manual voting process.

The proposed legislation seeks to establish a state policing framework operating concurrently with the federal police system, empowering governors to appoint Commissioners of Police for their respective states, subject to confirmation by their state Houses of Assembly.

The bill also includes safeguards against abuse, providing that state police cannot be deployed against individuals or groups merely for criticising a state government except in accordance with the law. It will only become part of the Constitution after securing the required approvals from state legislatures and completing other constitutional processes.

Foreign

Nigerian caregiver jailed in US for stealing $17,000

Published

1 week ago

June 25, 2026

Everydaynewsngr

A United States-based Nigerian social worker, Akeatha Diane Akintola, has been sentenced to five months’ imprisonment for stealing more than $17,000 in Social Security benefits meant for a disabled child placed under her care in Washington State.

A statement issued on June 18 by the US Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington, that Akintola, 48, pleaded guilty to theft of public funds after unlawfully diverting $17,638 intended for a minor with intellectual disabilities.

The department stated that Akintola was taken into custody immediately after her plea and sentencing hearing before Magistrate Judge Kate Vaughan.

The statement noted that at the sentencing hearing, Vaughan condemned the offence, saying she was struck by the fact that Akintola had targeted a vulnerable victim.

It noted that court records showed that Akintola became a social worker for the Snoqualmie Tribe in January 2023 and later applied to become the Social Security Representative Payee for a minor child under the tribe’s care.

The statement added that the child’s mother had died, leaving survivor benefits for the child with a prohibition for social workers from serving as representative payees for children under the tribe’s care.

The statement noted that despite the prohibition, prosecutors said Akintola used the child’s Social Security number and her information to secure the appointment and redirected the benefits into a bank account she controlled.

The attorney’s office stated that she spent the funds on personal expenses, including purchases at a retailer in North Bend, Washington.

The statement read in part, “In September 2023, Akintola applied by telephone to be the Social Security representative payee for a minor child with intellectual disabilities who was a ward of the tribe.

“The Tribe prohibits its social workers from becoming a representative payee for any child under its care. Nevertheless, Akintola used the child’s Social Security number and her own to apply to be the minor child’s representative payee.”

The US noted that the theft was uncovered in July 2024 when Akintola accompanied her supervisor to the Social Security Administration to inquire about the child’s missing benefits.

According to prosecutors, Social Security officials informed them that Akintola was listed as the child’s representative payee, but she denied the claim before resigning from her position the following day.

The department further disclosed that Akintola failed to appear for an earlier plea and sentencing hearing scheduled for May 22, 2026.

The statement added, “Prosecutors learnt she had left the U.S. on May 20, 2026, and travelled to Togo in West Africa using a passport issued in a different last name.

“Akintola appeared for the plea and sentencing hearing yesterday (July 15), and Judge Vaughan ultimately ordered her into custody to begin serving the sentence immediately.”

The statement noted that a representative of the Snoqualmie Tribe told the court that Akintola had abused the trust reposed in her as a social worker and exploited a grieving child for financial gain.

It added that the representative said the stolen funds were intended to support the child’s future independence and well-being and that the victim was an autistic child who depended on the benefits for support following the death of the mother.

“In our profession, a social worker is meant to be a safekeeper. A protector for children who have been stripped of their safety, family, and stability.

“Ms Akintola did not just fail in that duty; she weaponised her position of power to systematically steal from a grieving, autistic child. This money was not a luxury. It was a lifeline.”

The attorney’s office said Akintola was ordered to pay $17,638 in restitution to the Social Security Administration.

She was also barred from ever serving as a Social Security representative payee in the future.

Foreign

Putin ‘shuts down CCTV protecting him’ fearing assassination after Iran’s Ayatollah tracked via cameras and killed

Published

3 weeks ago

June 10, 2026

Everydaynewsngr

VLADIMIR Putin has shut down parts of his specialist CCTV protection network – over fears it could be used against him in an assassination attempt, reports say.

The paranoid Russian tyrant is said to be shaking in his boots after the US and Israel used AI camera hacking to hunt down and kill Iran‘s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Putin is paranoid that his security cameras could be used against him.

It comes after the precise strike that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader on February 28.

The sophisticated operation has sparked fears in Russia that similar technology could be used to track top officials – or the despot himself.

The move underscores mounting Kremlin fears that widespread surveillance cameras could be used against Moscow – given the new powers of AI.

Israeli intelligence are reportedly harvesting huge amounts of data scraped from Tehran’s traffic camera network.

Putin’s surveillance system has since been turned back on – but was only reinstated after engineers tried to break it off from the internet, the Financial Times reported.

The Kremlin is terrified that its sprawling surveillance system could be turned against the regimeCredit: East2West

Israel are understood to be analysing these millions of hours of video using AI-powered software.

Methods like these were reportedly used in the operation to assassinate Ayatollah Khamenei on February 28.

Terrified Russian security chiefs are now warning that the sprawling system of surveillance cameras around the country could be harnessed against them.

Head of Russia’s FSB security service Alexander Bortnikov warned that the deaths of senior Iranian figures should serve as a “clear warning sign” about the vulnerabilities of modern camera networks.

It comes amid the growing capabilities of AI – which can now track and flag certain types of behaviour rather than individual faces.

The technology has been described as the “holy grail of surveillance”, according to one European official who told the FT it lets security services to search for movements rather than simply objects or people.

Earlier this week, Putin ordered his two eldest daughters to move into his bunker palace with him.

Maria Vorontsova, 41, and Katerina Tikhonova, 39, have moved into Mad Vlad’s highly guarded forest palace complex.

The tyrant’s demand for his two daughters and three grandchildren to move in was revealed by a new investigation from We Can Explain.

It reported that Putin’s multi-millionaire daughter Maria and her two children moved to the Valdai palace complex.

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Katerina Tikhonova, 39, a rock n’ roll dancer, also moved in with her son.

The deranged dictator already shared the palace with his mistress Alina Kabaeva, 43, and their two sons, Ivan, 11, and Vladimir, six.

The Valdai complex is guarded by dozens of air defence systems making it one of the most secure locations in Russia.

Putin’s palace now has a total of 27 towers fitted with anti-aircraft systems, up from just seven two years ago.

Foreign

Nigerian Catholic priest convicted in US for sexual assault

Published

1 month ago

May 31, 2026

Everydaynewsngr

A Nigerian-born Roman Catholic priest, Anthony Odiong, has been convicted by a jury in Texas, United States, for sexually assaulting women under his spiritual care, The Guardian reports.

Odiong, 57, was found guilty on one count of first-degree sexual assault and two counts of second-degree sexual assault after a trial in Waco, Texas.

The jury, made up of eight women and four men, delivered its verdict after about two hours of deliberation on Friday.

The court heard testimony from two women who said Odiong used his role as a priest to manipulate and pressure them into sexual relationships.

He was accused of exploiting his position as a Catholic priest to pursue sexual relationships with women he was providing spiritual direction.

Odiong, who pleaded not guilty, could face life imprisonment on the first-degree charge when sentencing begins on Monday.

Prosecutors said the offences involved two women who testified in court that the priest abused his clerical authority during periods of emotional vulnerability.

One of the women, identified in court documents as Mary Doe, told the jury that Odiong began a sexual relationship with her while providing spiritual counselling during a difficult divorce.

She also testified that her son once walked in on her and Odiong during intercourse at her home.

Another woman, Jane Doe, testified that he pressured her into sexual acts under the guise of spiritual guidance.

The case followed a 2024 report by The Guardian, which first documented allegations of sexual misconduct and coercion against the priest during his ministry in Texas and Louisiana.

Prosecutors said that report prompted one of the victims to come forward to police with further allegations.

Investigators later gathered additional evidence, including DNA linked to a child fathered by Odiong during his time in Louisiana.

Odiong, a naturalised US citizen, was ordained in Nigeria in 1993 and later served in Catholic parishes in Texas and Louisiana.

Authorities said he was suspended from the ministry in 2019 following earlier allegations of misconduct.

His lawyers argued during the trial that the relationships were consensual, but prosecutors maintained that he abused his position of authority as a clergy member.