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

Everydaynewsngr

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

Nigerian jailed five years over sextortion, US teenager’s death

Published

4 days ago

July 27, 2026

Everydaynewsngr

A United States court has sentenced a 27-year-old Nigerian, Afeez Olatunji Adewale, to five years’ imprisonment for his role in a sextortion scheme that led to the death of an American teenager.

The sentence was handed down on Friday by the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania after Adewale pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud.

Announcing the sentence in a statement on Friday, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, David Metcalf, said Adewale was sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

“United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Afeez Olatunji Adewale, 27, of Nigeria was sentenced today by United States District Judge Joel Slomsky to 60 months in prison and three years of supervised release for money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud related to the sexual extortion and death of a young man in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania,” the statement read.

According to Metcalf, Adewale was arrested in Nigeria on August 17, 2023, during a joint operation involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation targeting sexual extortion suspects preying on victims in the United States.

Metcalf noted that the convict was extradited to the US in February 2026 with the assistance of the US authorities and the Nigerian government.

Following his extradition, Adewale was arraigned and subsequently pleaded guilty in April this year.

Commenting on the conviction, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Philadelphia, Wayne A. Jacobs, said the sentence demonstrates that offenders cannot escape justice by operating outside the United States.

“Today’s sentencing illustrates criminals cannot evade justice, even outside of our borders,” Jacobs said.

“This final sentencing is the result of diligent investigative work and close coordination with our domestic and international law enforcement partners.

“This case is a testament to the FBI’s unwavering commitment to pursuing those who exploit others online, regardless of where they operate.

“Most importantly, today’s sentence represents our continued commitment to seeking justice for victims and their loved ones. Let today’s sentencing send a clear message: alongside our partners here and abroad, the FBI remains committed to identifying, locating, and bringing to justice those who prey on our communities.”

Also reacting, the chief of the Abington Township Police Department, Patrick Molloy, praised the collaboration between local and federal authorities.

“We are grateful for the federal agents and prosecutors who worked so hard to bring those responsible for this heinous crime to justice.

“This could have been anyone’s child, and while this prosecution may provide some measure of relief, the pain and suffering for this family will never go away,” Molloy said.

The US authorities said Adewale was the last of three Nigerian suspects convicted in connection with the sextortion case.

His co-defendant, Samuel Abiodun, pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud and was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment in June 2025.

Another accomplice, Imoleayo Aina, also known as “Alice Dave,” pleaded guilty to cyberstalking, interstate threat to injure reputation, receiving proceeds of extortion, money laundering conspiracy, and wire fraud, and was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment in October 2025.

“I hope that their arrests, extradition, and prosecution make clear that the DOJ will go after those terrorising our young people — no matter where the scammers and sextortionists may be.

“Though this case is now closed, our thoughts will remain with a family and community forever changed,” Metcalf noted.

Foreign

Trump Limits Foreign Students’ Stay in US to Four Years

Published

2 weeks ago

July 16, 2026

Everydaynewsngr

The administration of United States President Donald Trump has finalised a new rule limiting most foreign students and exchange visitors to a maximum stay of four years, unless they obtain an extension from the federal government, The Washington Post reported on Thursday.
The new regulation, announced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ends the long-standing “duration of status” policy, which allowed international students to remain in the United States for the length of their academic programmes, provided they complied with visa requirements.
The restriction applies to holders of F-1 student visas and J-1 exchange visitor visas.
According to The Washington Post, the DHS acknowledged concerns that some students may struggle to complete their academic programmes within the new timeframe, noting that many bachelor’s degree programmes take more than four years to complete, while doctoral programmes often require significantly longer.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the change was necessary to strengthen immigration enforcement and reduce visa overstays.
“For nearly half a century, the outdated ‘duration of status’ system has compromised national security and created an environment ripe for immigration fraud,” Mullin said.
The policy has drawn criticism from NAFSA: Association of International Educators, which described the move as unnecessary and warned that it would create uncertainty for international students.
“DHS’ decision to end Duration of Status is a misguided and unnecessary policy shift that injects uncertainty, bureaucracy, and fear into a system that has long worked effectively,” NAFSA Executive Director Fanta Aw said.
The new rule comes as many US colleges and universities continue to face challenges in attracting international students amid tighter immigration policies and visa restrictions introduced by the Trump administration.

Foreign

UK-based Nigerian caregiver commits suicide

Published

2 weeks ago

July 15, 2026

Everydaynewsngr

A coroner’s court in the United Kingdom has ruled that a 27-year-old Nigerian woman, Beatrice Solomon, died by suicide after battling mental health challenges linked to personal difficulties.

Beatrice, who relocated from Nigeria to the UK on a skilled worker visa in November 2023, was found unresponsive in her home on Norris Road, Stanfield.

According to a report by The Sentinel on Sunday, the inquest heard that her husband, Damian Butler, had left home for his delivery job at about 4:30 pm on the day of the incident before returning approximately two hours later to use the toilet, where he discovered his wife unresponsive.

A police officer, PC Hinchliffe, told the court that emergency responders arrived shortly afterwards, but Beatrice was pronounced dead at the scene at 6:21pm.

According to the report, the investigators ruled out any third-party involvement in her death.

During the hearing, Butler told the court that his wife had struggled with her mental health over the past year, which he attributed to ongoing issues involving Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

He also disclosed that he later became aware that Beatrice had made two previous attempts to take her life.

A post-mortem examination conducted by pathologist Dr Jones found that she died from oxygen deprivation.Delivering her conclusion, Coroner Li Hammond-Naylor ruled that Beatrice died by suicide.

“It is clear to me that Beatrice had researched and planned how to take her life. I can only extend my sincere condolences to Beatrice’s family and friends,” the coroner said.

Beatrice, who worked as a carer in the UK, is survived by her husband, a son, and her siblings.

This tragedy highlights the emotional and mental health challenges some migrants may face while adjusting to life in a new country.

According to the World Health Organisation, research from various countries has shown that some migrants face increased mental health risks due to factors such as separation from their families, financial stress, uncertainty, discrimination, and cultural barriers.

The WHO stated that the findings underscore the need for accessible mental health support and timely interventions for migrants experiencing psychological distress.

Foreign

Israel Exposes Plot to assassinate Donald Trump

Published

3 weeks ago

July 10, 2026

Everydaynewsngr

Israel recently shared intelligence with the US about a new Iranian plot to assassinate President Trump, according to a report.

The latest assassination plan, reported by the Wall Street Journal on Thursday, comes after years of Iranian regime threats to kill Trump as revenge for the 2020 killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Gen. Qasem Soleimani by US forces.

When asked for comment, the White House referred The Post to Trump’s Wednesday remarks at the NATO summit in Ankara.

“They want to take out the US leader — me,” Trump said. “I’m on whatever list. I saw this morning I’m on every single one of their lists. And so far, I guess I’ve been a bit lucky, but maybe that doesn’t last very long.”“These are evil, sick people,” the president continued. “And we have to root out that cancer. That cancer. You know what you do? You’ve got to cut out cancer early. And that’s the way I feel.”

Trump traveled to Turkey on his new Qatari “palace in the sky” plane, but took a different Air Force One home. The plane switch was a strategic “distraction” to keep the commander-in-chief safe, the White House said.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth, who accompanied the president to the summit, was instructed not to travel to Israel as planned shortly before Trump chose to switch planes in Turkey. It’s unclear if the Iranian threat extended to the war secretary.

Trump terminates remaining members of Election Assistance ‌Commission after landmark Supreme Court ruling expanded his powers
The Journal report did not include details of the alleged assassination plot.

The Israelis tipped the US off about the plot earlier this week. The specific threat was not being tracked by US officials before Israel’s warning and has yet to be vetted, CNN reported.

A banner against President Trump is held in Tehran as mourners gather on the day of burial of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The warning comes as Trump’s relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has become somewhat fraught amid the Iran war.

Trump on June 1 told Netanyahu he was “f–king crazy” over his attacks on Lebanon, fearing they would provoke more war with Iran.

”You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me. I’m saving your ass. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this,” a US official summarized Trump’s comments, which the president later confirmed to The Post.

The world leaders have spoken on at least two occasions since the tense June 1 call, including Thursday, and have agreed to meet “in the near future,” according to Netanyahu’s office.

Banners vowing revenge against Trump were on full display in Tehran this week as Iranians prepared to bury late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the war.

One placard, held by dozens of Khamenei’s sycophants during a burial ceremony Thursday, read, “WE WILL KILL TRUMP.”Elsewhere, crowds shouted, “I swear by the blood of the Supreme ‌Leader, Trump, ⁠we will kill you!”

Foreign

US releases identities of 124 Nigerians set for deportation (See List)

Published

3 weeks ago

July 9, 2026

Everydaynewsngr

The United States of America has announced an updated deportation list featuring 124 Nigerians.

This was disclosed in a statement released on the website of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Wednesday.

The DHS claimed that these individuals have been placed on what it described as its “worst-of-the-worst” criminal register.

While the names and photos have been made public, the timeline for deportations remains undisclosed.

However, the US immigration authorities explained that the deportations are part of ongoing immigration enforcement, stressing that those listed were convicted of serious crimes, but declined to provide details about the offences or when deportations would take place.

The statement read: “The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is highlighting the worst of worst criminal aliens arrested by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

“Under DHS leadership, the hardworking men and women of DHS and ICE are fulfilling President Trump’s promise and carrying out mass deportations – starting with the worst of the worst – including the illegal aliens you see here.”

The website then listed: “Sunday Adediora, Sunday Kunkushi, Mkpouto Etukudoh, Marcus Unigwe, Olaniyi Ojikutu, Boluwaji Akingunsoye, Ejike Asiegbunam, Emmanuel Mayegun Adeola, Bamidele Bolatiwa, Ifeanyi Nwaozomudoh, Aderemi Akefe, Solomon Wilfred, Chibundu Anuebunwa, Joshua Ineh, Usman Momoh, Oluwole Odunowo, Bolarinwa Salau, Oriyomi Aloba.”

Others are Oludayo Adeagbo, Olaniyi Akintuyi, Talatu Dada, Olatunde Oladinni, Jelili Qudus, Abayomi Daramola, Toluwani Adebakin, Olamide Jolayemi, Isaiah Okere, Benji Macaulay, Joseph Ogbara, Olusegun Martins, Kingsley Ariegwe, Olugbenga Abass, Oyewole Balogun, Adeyinka Ademokunla, Christian Ogunghide, Christopher Ojuma, Olamide Adedipe, Patrick Onogwu, Olajide Olateru-Olagbegi and Omotayo Akinto.

There are also Kenneth Unanka, Jeremiah Ehis, Oluwafemi Orimolade, Ayibatonye Bienzigha, Uche Diuno, Akinwale Adaramaja, Boluwatife Afolabi, Chinonso Ochie, Olayinka A. Jones, Theophilus Anwana, Aishatu Umaru, Henry Idiagbonya, Okechukwu Okoronkwo, Daro Kosin, Sakiru Ambali, Kamaludeen Giwa, Cyril Odogwu, Ifeanyi Echigeme, Kingsley Ibhadore, Suraj Tairu, Peter Equere, Dasola Abdulraheem, Adewale Aladekoba, and Akeem Adeleke.

Also listed were Bernard Ogie Oretekor, Abiemwense Obanor, Olufemi Olufisayo Olutiola, Chukwuemeka Okorie, Abimbola Esan, Elizabeth Miller, Chima Orji, Adetunji Olofinlade, Abdul Akinsanya, Elizabeth Adeshewo, Dennis Ofuoma, Quazeem Adeyinka, Ifeanyi Okoro, Oluwaseun Kassim, Olumide Bankole Morakinyo, Abraham Ola Osoko, Oluchi Jennifer and Chibuzo Nwaonu.

The latest action is part of the sweeping immigration enforcement measures introduced by the administration of US President Donald Trump after his return to office on January 20, 2025.

On his first day back in office, Trump signed a series of executive orders declaring illegal immigration a national emergency and directing federal agencies to intensify border security and accelerate the removal of undocumented migrants.

One of the orders, titled: “Protecting the American People Against Invasion, instructed immigration authorities to prioritise the arrest and deportation of removable migrants, particularly those considered threats to public safety and national security.”

Defending the policy, the DHS said the administration was delivering on Trump’s campaign promise to carry out mass deportations, beginning with what it described as the “worst of the worst” criminal offenders.

The department said officers of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement had been directed to intensify operations nationwide against non-citizens convicted of serious crimes.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has also defended the crackdown, saying the administration remained committed to enforcing immigration laws and removing undocumented immigrants with criminal records in line with President Trump’s immigration agenda.Executive Branch

Official US immigration data indicate that Guatemala has recorded the highest number of deportees since the renewed crackdown began, followed by Honduras, Mexico and El Salvador, reflecting the administration’s focus on migrants from Latin America.

The US has also expanded deportation flights to countries across Africa, Asia and the Caribbean as enforcement operations continue.

Nigeria has also come under increased scrutiny by the Trump administration. In June, Washington imposed partial visa restrictions on Nigerian citizens, citing concerns over identity management, information sharing, visa overstay rates and security screening.Demographics.

The PUNCH