Cholera outbreak has hit Ebonyi state in South East Nigeria, resulting into the death of no fewer than three persons. This brings the number of death to 28 since the outbreak in the state since February this year.
The latest deaths were recorded in Ndiogbu Ndieze village in Izzi Local Government Area of the state, while 17 are hospitalized.
Those hospitalised are currently receiving treatment in Sudan United Mission Hospital and Iboko General Hospital in the local government.
The State Epidemiologist, Dr.Francis Onwe, and other officials of the state Ministry of Health, who visited the area today, distributed drugs including ORS, sanitizers, chlorine for water disinfection to the residents to control the epidemic.
Director of Public Health and Disease Control in the state, Dr. Christian Achi, had confirmed more deaths in Ikwo community, Ikwo Local Government Area of the state as a result of fresh outbreak of the disease in the area.
A stakeholder of Ndiogbu Ndieze village, Chief Austin Igwe Edeze, whose younger brother was among those that died following the outbreak, said that people who attended burial of a resident of the area came back and started vomiting and defecating uncontrollably.
“Nobody suspected that cholera was responsible for the frequent vomiting and defecation by the people that attended the burial ceremony.
“So before we noticed it was cholera, it was already late, as he was vomiting and stooling. We took him to the hospital and he died early in the morning. ‘We raised alarm to the Ministry of Health and the officials advised that we should quickly bury him to avoid the disease spreading to other people around which we obeyed.
“The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry sent a team who visited us for enlightenment on the prevention of the disease and donated some drugs after the lecture’’ he said.
While addressing the people on the outbreak of the disease in the area, the state Epidemiologist, Dr. Francis Onwe, said the state health officials were contacted by Chief Austin Igwe Edeze, whose younger brother was among those that died as a result of the epidemic. [myad]
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) has arrested a suspected international drug kingpin, Mr. Chukwunwendu Sylvester Ikejiakwu aka Blessed. The agency discovered that three laboratories used for illegal production of methamphetamine were linked to the big-time drug baron.
According to the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Ahmadu Giade, the illegal drug factories were discovered in Anambra State South East Nigeria, adding that Sylvester is found to be the owner of the laboratories and that he is also the leader of an International Drug Trafficking Organisation (DTO) that recruits and sponsors drug couriers to China, Malaysia, Turkey and Italy.
He said that there were sufficient evidences to nail the suspect, whose arrest he described as the latest outstanding operational success recorded by the Agency, adding: “the Special Enforcement Team (SET) of the NDLEA has concluded a model investigation of an International Drug Trafficking Organisation (DTO). The Agency apprehended the suspected leader of a drug syndicate in his country home at Ozubulu after thirteen months of intense surveillance. Three additional clandestine laboratories that produce methamphetamine had been discovered in his home town in Anambra State.”
Giade said that based on intelligence report received on April 23, 2014, a high level covert operation commenced on the suspect Mr. Chukwunwendu Sylvester Ikejiakwu aka Blessed of Ozubulu, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State. “The 37 year old suspected drug kingpin was found to be deeply involved in Unlawful Exportation of illicit drugs, Unlawful Assembling as well as running of methamphetamine production laboratories in the Eastern part of Nigeria. He shuttles between his country home in Ozubulu, Nnewi and No. 2, St, James Close Ajao Estate Isolo Lagos where he resides in Lagos for his drug business.”
The Agency also discovered that Chukwunwendu Sylvester Ikejiakwu aka Blessed is the Group Managing Director of Blessed Group of Companies. He hides under the cover of motorcycle parts business in running a drug cell that has international affiliation. His companies include Blessed Benita Global Limited, Ideal Motorcycle Company Limited and God’s Special Enterprise Limited. He specializes in recruiting and sponsoring drug couriers to China, Malaysia, Turkey and Italy. He also pays his couriers an average of $5,000 dollars per trip.
He runs the clandestine methamphetamine laboratories in his premises located in Akubuezem Nnewi, Anambra State.
It was gathered that he hired one Raphael who is a professional methamphetamine cook to work for him. He pays him five hundred thousand naira (N500,000) for his service and seven hundred thousand naira (N700,000) for the purchase of precursor chemicals per production cycle. The production capacity per cycle is 14kg.
“During a search on one of the laboratories at his Nnewi house, 2.615kg of liquid methamphetamine was found inside a yellow plastic jug and 250grammes of crystallized methamphetamine concealed in a white transparent polythene bag. Methamphetamine laboratory equipment seized from his house include the following; One (1) approximate volume measuring scale, Six (6) heating filters, Six giant conical flasks, industrial tubes and cups of sodium hydroxide. Others are containers of iodine, Acetone, Hydrochloric Acid, weighing scale, masks and hand gloves among others” the NDLEA boss added.
The House of Sylvester in Anambra
Also recovered from him are paraphernalia for drug concealment similar to the ones seized with drugs at the airports and land borders. They include an electronic weighing scale, assorted artifacts, laptop bags, motorcycle parts, air compressors, bus and truck mirrors, araldite and Atiso paint, processed brown envelopes and impulse sealer. Others are transparent packing nylon and carbon paper, tower foil paper, needles, threads, super glue and many more.
The suspect had two Nigeria International passports and one Ghana passport all bearing his photographs with different names. Details of his three passports are as follows; Ikechukwu Sylvester Chukwunwe, Nigeria passport with No: 04272646; Samson Odinakar: Nigeria passport No: A03472814 and Anthony Yeboah Frank, Ghana passport No: H2437245. Two other passports belonging to suspected drug couriers were also seized.
While surveillance on this criminal group was ongoing, the NDLEA intercepted 23kg of methamphetamine along Badagry expressway, Lagos en-route Cotonou. The seized drug was ultimately traced to Chukwunwendu Sylvester Ikejiakwu aka BLESSED. One AZUBIKE is now standing trial at the Federal High court Lagos in respect of that seizure. Some drug couriers sponsored by him have been arrested and are in prison custody in China, Turkey and Malaysia.
Some of the assets believed to be purchased with drug proceeds had been traced.
“We are investigating over sixteen bank accounts belonging to him in different banks. He has a Toyota Venza with vehicle registration No AAA 18 BP, a Peugeot 406 with vehicle registration No FST 587 AS; a Q5 Audi four runner with vehicle registration No EPE 546 CF and a Toyota Sienna SUV with vehicle registration No KRD 399 CG.
He allegedly bought a piece of land at No. 21A Joy Avenue, Ajao Estate in 2009 at the cost of twenty five million naira (N25,000,000) and rebuilt it in 2012 to three (3) story building at the cost of ninety million naira (N90,000,000) only. He also bought a property at No 2 St. James Close Ajao Estate for seventeen million naira (N17,000,000) and built a five (5) bedroom duplex on it at the cost of twenty five million naira (N25,000,000) only.
The illegal drug activities of the suspect have grave economic, social and political consequences on the nation. Methamphetamine production generates toxic waste that pollutes the environment and exposes workers, neighbours and guests to health hazards. Young and active youths are used as drug couriers to smuggle produced drugs outside the country. This is in addition to creating local drug addicts due to availability of the drugs at affordable cost.
Some of the drug couriers he sponsored are languishing in jail in China, Malaysia, Turkey and Italy. Some are believed to have died in foreign prisons. Besides, Nigeria has suffered international embarrassment due to arrest of our nationals abroad
Notwithstanding the challenges, Giade said that the era of in-depth and analytical investigations have come to stay in the NDLEA. A solid foundation has been established and we shall continue to build on the existing structures. The Agency shall ensure that this case is diligently prosecuted and all assets traced to the suspect and his group is forfeited to the federal government.
He reassured members of the public that no drug baron shall go unpunished. At the most expedient time, more drug barons shall be exposed and prosecuted. I wish to thank the officers that took part in the operation and urge them not to relent as every outstanding performance shall be rewarded. [myad]
Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity, Femi Adesina has given an indication of the move by the President to soon effect some reorganization of security personnel in the Aso Presidential Villa.
In a statement today to deny the rumours that personnel of the State Security Service have been expelled from the Presidential Villa, Adesina said however that “it is true that a reorganization of security at the Presidential Villa, which involves the realignment of personnel from various services is underway,”
According to him such reorganization would not amount to the expulsion of Directorate of State Service personnel from the Aso Rock premises.
“The changes being made are routine adjustments which are not unexpected in any dynamic environment from time to time.” [myad]
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega has suggested the introduction of the Election Risk Management (ERM) in the election management of other African countries, against the backdrop of its successful use in the Nigeria’s 2015 general elections. According to Jega, the ERM tool had afforded the electoral risk mapping to generate data and do analysis to support a range of activities targeted at either mitigating risks or taking proactive measures in ensuring the conduct of free, fair, credible and especially peaceful elections. The INEC Chairman made the recommendation yesterday, at a workshop on ERM post-elections analysis organized in collaboration with International IDEA and African Union, held at INEC’s Electoral Institute in Abuja. While encouraging the use of the ERM tool due to its effectiveness, Professor Jega expressed INEC’s readiness “to share experiences and willingness to participate in whatever role it can, in order to ensure utilization of its objective in expanding the organization of the tool in the African continent”. The INEC Chairman was full of appreciation to the Embassy of the Netherlands, the African Union and International IDEA for their support towards deployment of the tool and also the successful conduct of the 2015 general elections. He urged participants at the workshop to contribute ideas in terms of how to continually improve the framework and the methodology of preventing conflicts and violence in elections. Earlier, the International IDEA Africa Programe representative, Professor Adebayo Olukoshi, paid tribute to the INEC Chairman for his exemplary leadership qualities and for “raising the face of the country.” He urged that the Nigerian experience be used as a template to share with other African countries. On his part, the representative of the Embassy of the Netherlands, Maurice Paulson, described the 2015 general elections as peaceful and commended the INEC Chairman for the success of the elections. He emphasized the role of the deployment of the ERM tool in mitigating violence in the 2015 general elections, adding that his country will encourage its deployment in other African countries. [myad]
The legendary chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Attahiru Jega is expected to retire at the end of June even as he vowed to clear the backlog of all promotions in the Commission before he leaves. In what looked like a valedictory speech, the INEC Chairman said that the Commission under his watch had laid a good foundation on which subsequent Commissions could build. Speaking at a gala night organized for outgoing Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) at the Le Meridien Hotel, Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, Professor Jega said he felt fulfilled with the outcome of the 2015 general elections, which he said was appreciated by most Nigerians. Professor Jega was quick to acknowledge, however, that the brilliant performance of the Commission was as a result of the combined efforts of the management and staff who worked tirelessly and under difficult circumstances. He attributed the success of the elections to the manner the management and staff worked and related like a family. Though he said the task of electoral reforms had just begun, but said: “the foundation for good, continuous elections have been laid. Thank you for supporting me and working for the success we have achieved.” Professor Jega prayed that God should bless the Commission’s workers who he said raised the bar by giving their best, adding: “may God give you the best in your life endeavours. May God Almighty continue to bless you.” He said it was a privilege and honoured for him to lead people with tremendous integrity and intellectual ability. Barrister Mike Igini who gave the vote of thanks at the occasion, said that Professor Jega delivered on his promise to conduct free, fair and credible elections.
“Looking back, your team, working with you, conducted credible and acceptable elections, though not perfect,” Igini noted. Meanwhile Professor Jega has ruled out the prospect of any “automatic promotion for the INEC staff. This was even as he said that states which did not create or activate Registration Area Centres (RACs) during the last general elections will be directed to account for their inability. He warned about reverting to what obtained in the past where Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) and Electoral Officers (EOs) returned election outcomes, insisting that by appointing Returning Officers outside INEC, “remarkable improvement was brought to the process.” He observed that the strain on RECs and EOs during elections was too much and further saddling them with the task of returning election outcomes tended to make them prone to mistakes. “The strain is too much. They are not superhuman and they will make mistakes.” He expressed delight that most of the Returning Officers appointed by the Commission in the 2011 and 2015 General Elections were above board. He observed that the retreat made a number of brilliant suggestions, which when taken on board by the next Commission, would remarkably improve the electoral process. [myad]
A 72-year-old Ahmed Adoke, an uncle to the former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, has been arrested by special security squad for allegedly involved in the spate of kidnappings that have recently taken over the state. He was among the 45 that were paraded to newsmen in Lokoja and accused of belonging to the gang of kidnappers and armed robbery. Also paraded was the All Progressive Congress, (APC) candidate for the Okehi constituency in the state House of Assembly in the last election, Idris Ozi Shuabu; and a cripple who were paraded for being an accessory to the criminal gang terrorizing the people of the state.
Addressing newsmen in Lokoja, the Force Public Relations Officer, Commissioner of Police Emmanuel Ojukwu, said the harvest of arrests was consequent on the Special Anti- Crime Task Force led by Chris Ezike, a Commissioner of Police of the Federal Special Anti- Robbery Squad assigned by the Inspector General (IG) to combat the menace of kidnapping and armed robbery rocking the state. “Following the upsurge in the activities of high profile kidnapping and armed banditry along theAuchi-Okene-Lokoja, Ajaokuta-Lokoja, Kabba-Obajana highways, the IG, Solomon Arase, directed the Special Anti-crime Task Force to relocate to Kogi State and quickly address the situation. “The team, which arrived Lokoja on May 27, 2015 and was supported by a strong force of 350 specialists police officers drawn from across Nigeria swung into action in earnest with the arrests of over 45 criminals from mostly the central senatorial district of the state. “In the past three weeks, the squad quickly design a template to contain the situation, identify all criminal syndicates, identify kidnappers hideout and carry out sporadic raids of their houses. Today, 45 persons have been arrested in connection to the criminal activities in the state during the operation,” Ojukwu disclosed. The force PRO alleged that the high rates of criminality in the state was due to the engagement of youths in thuggery and political violence, sponsored by highly placed politicians who have over the years recycled the hoodlums. He stressed that it was their assistance in procuring illicit firearms that was responsible for criminality in the state Ojukwu gave other reasons behind the criminality as Kogi State being the gateway to over nine states which criss cross the state to Abuja, the nation capital; the intra and inter clan conflicts which resulted in avoidable violence and free use of firearms; the rising influence of hard drugs and other intoxicating substances; cultism; and the activities of awaiting trial and convicted criminals, who escaped from Koton/karfe prison during the two infamous jail breaks in 2013 and 2014.” Ojukwu who said during the three weeks operation, one police officer, Benjamin Agada, from Enugu State was killed, urged the people of the state to embrace the N5 Million promised by the state governor, Capt. Idris Wada, as compensation for anyone who gives useful information towards the smashing of kidnappers gang. Items recovered during the three weeks operation are two AK47; nine single and double barrel guns; gun manufacturing equipment; cutlasses and other weapons. [myad]
President Muhammadu Buhari has made it clear that with declared support for his administration, by the United States of America and other nations of the world, he is set to recover and repatriate all funds stolen by Nigerians from Nigeria. The President, who spoke today at an audience with members of the Northern Traditional Rulers Council led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar at the Presidential Villa, Abuja said that his government owed it a duty to now begin to provide the international community with the facts and figures needed to drive the recovery effort. “In the next three months, our administration will be busy getting those facts and the figures to help us recover our stolen funds in foreign countries,’’ the President told the traditional rulers. Citing the report submitted by the Ahmed Joda-led transition committee, President Buhari said that several revenue-generating institutions in the country have been compromised leading to a weak economy. On insecurity, the President said that the traditional rulers could play a key role in stemming the terrorism and insurgency in Nigeria by assisting the government with cost-effective intelligence gathering. President Buhari also assured the traditional rulers that his administration is working hard to end insecurity and terrorism in the country in the shortest possible time, with the cooperation of neighbouring countries and the international community. Buhari acknowledged that Nigerians expected a lot from his administration, but appealed for patience and understanding as his government works diligently to speedily overcome the huge national challenges it inherited. Sultan Abubakar had earlier presented the Northern Traditional Rulers’ recommendations to the President on issues relating to national development. The Sultan told the President that as custodians of tradition and stakeholders in the Nigerian project, the traditional rulers had a responsibility to always advise political leaders on the “path of truth and justice. “We have always advised our leaders, but their acceptance of our advice is their own prerogative,” the Sultan said. The traditional rulers assured the President of their unflinching support for his administration’s efforts to fulfill its promises to Nigerians. [myad]
The 36 state governors across Nigeria have formally asked President Muhammadu Buhari to institute a probe panel to find out the full details of the amounts that accrued into the Excess Crude Account from 2011, and how the money miraculously shrank without official sharing. The governors who had a meeting with President Buhari today at the Presidential Villa also appealed to the President to give directive that all revenue generating agencies must pay into the Consolidated Federation Account even as they also asked for the review of the Revenue Allocation Formula. They want government and its agencies to obey the extant Supreme Court ruling that all monies go into the Consolidated Federation Account even as they requested for the refund of the monies expended by states on federal projects. They also requested for special consideration to be given to the three states of the North East under Boko Haram infestation. The governors were led to the first meeting with the President by Chairman of the Governors Forum, Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State. Meanwhile, President Buhari assured the governors that the days of impunity, lack of accountability, and fiscal recklessness in the management of national resources are over in Nigeria. The President vowed that funds stolen by government officials who abused their offices in the recent past will be recovered and systemic leakages stopped. “There are financial and administrative instructions in every government parastatal and agency. But all these were thrown to the dogs in the past. Honestly, our problems are great, but we will do our best to surmount them. “The next three months may be hard, but billions of dollars can be recovered, and we will do our best, ” the President told the governors. Expressing surprise that the governors had tolerated the atrocities allegedly committed with the Excess Crude Account since 2011, President Buhari promised to tackle the issue decisively. The President declared that the payment of national revenue into any account other than the Federation Account was an abuse of the constitution, adding that what he had heard was going on in many agencies and corporations, particularly the NNPC, was clearly illegal. On the refund of monies spent on federal projects by state governments, President Buhari assured the governors that the Federal Government will pay, but insisted that due process must be followed. The President promised special assistance for the three North Eastern states badly affected by the Boko Haram insurgency. He also said that a comprehensive statement on the economic and financial situation inherited by his administration will be made to the nation within the next four weeks. “We will try and put the system back into the right position. What happened in the 2nd Republic has apparently happened again, and even worse, but we will restore sanity to the system,” President Buhari assured the Governors. On an immediate lifeline for states that owe salaries running into many months, President Buhari said that a committee headed by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, will look at the Excess Crude Account and see what can be shared immediately. [myad]
Governor Nyeson Wike of Rivers has asked his predecessor, former governor Rotimi Amaechi not to panic over the normal checks his government is carrying out on how the state was run under him. Answering questions from newsmen after the 36 state governors had had a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Wike said that he had no reason to witch-hunt the former governor. “If you don’t have any skeleton in your cupboard you don’t need to be afraid of anything. What we are trying to do is just to keep the records straight; we are not witch hunting anybody. This is not the first time where you find the judicial commission of inquiry being set up by the last administration, three times. So who were they witching hunting then?” Governor Wike said that he met two month unpaid workers’ salaries, for April and May and that his government is finding the way of paying such salaries. “It is unbelievable that a state like Rivers should be owing salaries. That is where we found ourselves. That is the reality on ground.” He said that as far as he knew, no one has indicted former governor Amaechi, emphasizing that what he intended to do is to look at certain records as to whether they are straight or not. “But he said it is witch hunting. When he was there, he set up three judicial panels. So was he witch hunting any one by setting them up? He set up Kayode Eso reconciliation commission, Judgewill Panel, etc. Does it mean that all those panels were to witch hunt people? Wike said that he is determined to build what he called “a new River State” and that he would take the state to the next level. [myad]
President Paul Biya of Cameroon has extended an invitation to President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria visit his country at his earliest convenience to continue with talks on how to intensify cooperation between Nigeria and neighbouring countries in the war against Boko Haram and terrorism. Biya sent The Cameroonian Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, Mr. Sadi Rene Emmanuel, delivered the invitation message to President Buhari today at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. In a statement by special adviser to the President on media and publicity, Femi Adesina said that President Buhri has accepted the invitation from Biya but would carry out the visit after the Ramadan fasting. Receiving the message, President Buhari insisted on the greater regional and international cooperation to end the atrocities of the terrorist group. The President vowed to put his experience as a former soldier to good use in the war against Boko Haram even as he commended the efforts of all regional governments, including Cameroon in support of Nigeria. “I am happy that the President has sent you. As you must have observed, I was in Niger and Chad over this issue. I planned to be in Cameroon afterwards, but I received an invitation to attend the Group of Seven (G7) meeting in Germany. “I had to attend the meeting because Boko Haram has been internationalized and it was part of the discussions there,” he told Mr. Emmanuel. The Special Envoy assured President Buhari of President Biya’s “fraternity, sympathy and brotherly commitment” to working with Nigeria to end the Boko Haram insurgency. “Together, we will reinforce our efforts, eradicate the scourge of terrorism and look forward to better things.” [myad]
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
