Operatives of EFCC and ONSA, have discovered $9 million cash at the residence of the sacked Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, retired Brig.-Gen. Paul Tarelah Boroh.

Boroh, who was Special Adviser on Niger Delta to President Muhammadu Buhari has also been arrested.

The discovery of the cash was made a few hours after his arrest by a combined team of EFCC and operatives of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

The Head, Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujiaren, confirmed the arrest and cash recovery in response to THISDAY’s enquiries.

A senior security agent said Boroh was picked up from his home in Gwarinpa, Abuja, on Monday.

He was reported to have been taken back to his residence at about 3 a.m. Tuesday by the security operatives who raided his house for hours and made the cash discovery of $9 million at his home.

He remains in the custody of the EFCC.

“The former adviser was driven to his home in an unmarked car after his arrest. His home was searched for several hours and about $9 million cash was discovered in several safe boxes in several parts of the house,” the senior security agent stated.

“The combined team of EFCC and the National Security Adviser operatives were very thorough with the search. Indeed, at a point, the operatives broke all the locks in the home including his wife’s closet. The recovered cash has been deposited at the Office of the NSA.”

Buhari sacked Boroh last week and announced Prof. Charles Dokubo as his replacement.

In the statement announcing Boroh’s dismissal, it said the NSA, Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd), had been directed to probe the activities of the Amnesty Office from 2015, when Boroh was appointed, especially allegations of financial impropriety and other acts that were allegedly detrimental to the objectives of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

According to investigations by THISDAY, Boroh’s sack, investigation and arrest by the EFCC may not be unconnected to a petition, among others, that was sent to the president last August.

The petition to Buhari dated August 21, 2017 was signed by one Timi Angalabiri, on behalf of the Niger Deltans for Accountability and Good Governance (NDAGG).

The group requested the president to suspend the ex-Amnesty Programme boss “for a credible investigative inquiry to commence into the non-payment of tuition fees and living expenses of recently graduated Niger Delta students in universities across the United States, the United Kingdom and Nigeria.

The petitioner further pleaded with Buhari to use his good office to prosecute Boroh and others for allegedly diverting the sum of N70 billion.

Shortly after the petition was written, rumours swirled about Boroh’s sack by the president, but they were dismissed by the former Amnesty Programme boss.

“This story about my suspension and even sack has been off and on in the media, but the truth is that I have not been sacked and no one should disrupt the relative prevailing peace in the Niger Delta region with such fake news,” he had said.

“What is happening is the handiwork of political enemies and those who do not want the region to be peaceful. The rumours they are peddling are just rubbish and unfounded. Under my watch, the programme, candidly speaking, has helped greatly to stabilise the region.”

The Reformed Niger Delta Avengers and 10 other militant groups Tuesday threatened to attack oil installations in the Niger Delta if the sacked coordinator of the Amnesty Programme was not reinstated in four weeks.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Johnmark Ezonbi, leader of the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers, said the federal government would “hear from them” if Boroh was not reinstated.

He said the sacked coordinator of the Amnesty Programme played a significant role in prevailing on the militants to end the attacks on oil installations, warning that it was obvious that the government was toying with the destiny of the Niger Delta.

The statement by Ezonbi read: “The federal government will hear from us at the expiration of the four weeks ultimatum as no single stone will be left unturned as the administration prefers to go back to the recession period when Boroh played a major role by visiting the creeks with other stakeholders to prevail on the boys to drop their arms and embrace peace.

“We will embark on a well coordinated destruction of all major delivery oil pipelines after the expiration of the four weeks ultimatum without looking back.

“I want to warn that any intruder into our planned action in four weeks time, if the federal government fails to reinstate General Paul Boroh, will be severely dealt with without mercy because our attacks will make the security agencies in the creeks very small.

“We are fully ready to take on anybody as we have the instruments of warfare that will make the biggest military might marvel at our coordinated attacks.

“We are ready to dirty our rivers and creeks with our oil, it is better we spill it than allow government use it to develop other parts of the country.”

Source: NAN

In an effort to prevent further outbreak of Lassa fever, Ebonyi Government is to begin intensive campaigns against rat consumption in rural areas.

The state Commissioner for Environment, Chief Donatus Njoku, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abakaliki that the government would explore all avenues to dissuade the citizens from consuming rats.

NAN reports that Lassa fever outbreak in the state in January resulted in four deaths and it is believed thatinhabitants of the state erroneously believe rats have high nutritional value.

Njoku said: Rats are the primary vectors of the disease, and we are vigorously carrying out enlightenment through mass media, workshops, seminars and various ministries communication channels.

We will collaborate with traditional rulers and other opinion leaders at the grassroots to educate rural dwellers to shun such a notion and realise that rat is the diseases primary vector.

We have also continued to sensitise the populace to urgently report suspected cases to relevant health agencies.

With the total functionality of the state government-owned South-East Virology Centre, such an occurrence can be expeditiously handled.

On sanitation, Njoku said that contrary to insinuations, non-observance of the monthly sanitation in the state did not affect effective sanitation.

State and Federal Government functions sometimes fall on the last Saturday of the month, and when this occurs, we have to comply.

The state government has evolved policies which make the populace to clean their environments on daily basis and not wait for designated days, he said.

Njoku told NAN that the state Ministry of Environment ensured that state government ministries and parastatal-agencies cleaned their environments daily as directed by the governor.

We assess their performances to ascertain the level of compliance; to show his seriousness toward the directive, the governor visits the ministries for on-the-spot assessments.

We encourage the people to keep their environments clean to improve their health, he said. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Wife of the President of the Senate, Toyin Saraki, has been named as special adviser to the Independent Advisory Group (IAG) of the World Health Organisations (WHO) Regional Office for Africa (AFRO).

The Media Office of Toyin Saraki, in a statement in Abuja on Monday, said the appointment was made earlier this month by WHOs Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti.

This move is intended to bring Mrs Sarakis considerable frontline experience to bear on WHOs strategy and policy.

Toyin Ojora-Saraki had since accepted the appointment based on the Advisory Groups focus on women and childrens health and in view of her role as a global champion for Universal Healthcare Coverage (UHC).

I welcome the Advisory Group meetings focus on the health of women, children and adolescents as flagship indicators for Universal Healthcare Coverage (UHC) progress.

As a global champion for UHC, I advocate for a fuller understanding of its benefits, which go beyond health outcomes and include improved gender equality, higher levels of preparedness for epidemic outbreaks and transformative economic effects.

As Global Goodwill Ambassador for the International Confederation of Midwives, I particularly welcome the introduction of WHO AFROs focused curriculum for the professional qualification education of Midwives and Nurses in Africa, she said.

I am looking forward to hitting the ground running in my new role as special adviser at the Independent Advisory Group meeting this week in Johannesburg.

The experience I have gained as Founder-President of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, working closely with our midwives on the frontline, as part of the global Every Woman, Every Child Strategy to end all preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths, including stillbirths, by 2030, will inform my advice to the WHO, she added.

Source: NAN

The National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a trailer loaded with 24,000 bottles of cough syrups containing codeine in Funtua local government area of Katsina State.

The NDLEA State Commandant, Hajiya Maryam Gambo Sani disclosed this during a press briefing to newsmen on Tuesday in Katsina.

She said that six persons were arrested in connection with the drug cargo. According to her, those arrested were the driver of the vehicle, his assistant and two conductors.

Sani said other people arrested were the manager of SUNGLOW EQUITY NIG LTD who is suspected to be owner of the drugs and the salesman of the company.

State governments north of Nigeria are generally suspicious of cough syrups containing codeine, as people abuse the codeine content, a kind of opiate like cocaine or heroin. Users get high on it, leading to many cases of drug addiction.

According to reports, many users actually buy it when they cannot afford more expensive drugs such as heroin (diamorphine) or other opiate/opioid drugs.

As an opiate, codeine is also used to treat pain and diarrhea. Internationally, codeine is not a banned drug.

The Katsina state government is yet to make a law banning the use of the drug and it is unclear under which law the NDLEA will prosecute the suspects.

The trailer was arrested by the NDLEA operatives at the companys warehouse located in Dutsen-reme area.

Sani said that the trailer came from Onitsha.

She said that the suspects would be charged to court for prosecution.

Sani also said that 12 students of tertiary institutions in the state were arrested for drugs related offences.

The commandant said that the items seized from the students included 159 bottles of cough syrups with codeine, 160.6 grams of cannabis sativa and 50.7 grams of Rohypnol (Rochee).

She also said that a total of 186 persons were apprehended between January and March, 2018, for drugs related offences in the state.

Sani said that 57.8 kilograms of assorted hard drugs and 25,254 bottles of cough syrups with codeine were seized from the suspects.

She added that 8.4489 kilograms of psychotropic substances were seized from the suspects during the period under review.

Sani urged the public to continue to assist the command in its efforts of fight against drug abuse and trafficking.

Source: NAN

German authorities have confirmed outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N6 bird flu type at a farm on an island off the German North Sea coast, the Schleswig-Holstein state agriculture ministry said on Wednesday.

The virus was found on a farm of with 57 chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese on the island of Hallig Suederoog. All the birds on the farm have been culled.

It is said to be the first case on a farm in Germany, the ministry said.

A case of H5N6 bird flu was also reported by a farm in the Netherlands in February and in southern England in January.

The Schleswig-Holstein state agriculture ministry said there is no record of the strain of the disease spreading to humans.

Some past outbreaks of bird flu have required expensive slaughtering campaigns and costly orders to farmers to keep poultry indoors.

Source:https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-birdflu-germany/germany-confirms-h5n6-bird-flu-case-on-island-farm-idUKKBN1GX1

Source: NAN

A US judge on Monday delayed by just a few days the start of Bill Cosbys sexual assault trial, throwing out a bid by defense lawyers for a three-month postponement.

Judge Steven ONeill moved jury selection to April 2 instead of March 29 as originally scheduled, to hear outstanding pre-trial motions on March 29 and 30.

Cosbys defense team, headed by Tom Mesereau, the celebrity Los Angeles attorney who got Michael Jackson acquitted of child molestation in 2005, had requested a longer delay of 90 days, which ONeill denied.

It marks the second time that 80-year-old comedian will go on trial, accused of drugging and molesting a former university basketball official at his Philadelphia home in 2004.

In June, ONeill declared a mistrial when the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict on three counts of aggravated indecent assault in Norristown, Pennsylvania.

The trial irrevocably damaged the once towering icon of US popular culture, loved by millions as Americas Dad and best known for his seminal role as a father and obstetrician on hit 1984-92 TV series The Cosby Show.

Around 60 women have publicly accused the Emmy-winning actor of being a serial sexual predator, but most of the alleged abuse happened too long ago to prosecute, meaning that the trial last year concerned only one of the alleged victims.

The Pennsylvania judge ruled last week that five additional women who claim to have been sexually assaulted by Cosby can testify at the re-trial, having last time ruled that only one other accuser could take the stand.

Cosby, now frail and isolated, risks spending the rest of his life in prison if convicted.

The actor denies the charges, saying his relations with Andrea Constand were consensual.

The Canadian has said Cosby gave her pills that left her semi-conscious, then made sexual advances a story similar to those recounted by many of the other accusers.

Source: NAN

Cynthia Nixon, the US actress who shot to international fame as workaholic lawyer Miranda on Sex and the City, is running for New York governor, unveiling Monday a progressive platform championing greater equality and eschewing big business.

The 51-year-old declared her candidacy with a two-minute campaign video posted on Twitter that showed her at home with her wife and children, riding the subway, taking her young child to school and speaking at liberal political causes.

The move confirmed growing speculation that Nixon intended to challenge incumbent Democratic state governor Andrew Cuomo, which went into overdrive last week when her wife, Christine Marinoni, stepped down from her job at the citys department of education.

I love New York, and today I'm announcing my candidacy for governor. Join us:

Cynthia Nixon (@CynthiaNixon)

The actress and liberal activist, who has campaigned for gay marriage, public schools and access to womens healthcare, threw her hat into the ring saying she was sick of politicians who care more about headlines and power than they do about us.

Our leaders are letting us down. We are now the most unequal state in the entire country with both incredible wealth and extreme poverty. Half the kids in our upstate cities live below the poverty line. How did we let this happen? she said on the video.

I love New York. Ive never wanted to live anywhere else but something has to change. We want our government to work again on health care, ending mass incarceration, fixing our broken subway.

Together we can win this fight, finished the New York born and raised Nixon, who said she grew up with her mother in what she called a one-bedroom, fifth-floor walk-up.

New York, the fourth most populous state in the United States, goes to the polls to elect a governor on November 6. But Nixon remains a left-field candidate with Cuomo very much the favored contender ahead of the Democratic Party primary on September 13.

Despite the stardom brought by her role alongside Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall on the wildly successful television comedy Sex and the City, which aired on HBO from 1998-2004 and spawned two spin-off movies, the actress lags far behind in the polls.

A recent Siena College Research Institute poll found that Cuomo is overwhelmingly favored by Democrats over Nixon by 66 to 19 percent.

It remains unclear how much Cuomo may be damaged by the recent conviction of an aide for bribery. According to The New York Times, his name was mentioned 163 times during the eight-week federal trial.

Nixon worked for years as an actress before hitting the big-time with Sex and the City and won a Tony Award Americas most prestigious stage acting awards for her role last year in play The Little Foxes.

In addition to the video, Nixon has set up a campaign fundraising page that echoes some of the language used by 2016 Democratic Party presidential contender Bernie Sanders who electrified the left before ultimately losing to Hillary Clinton.

The page stipulates that Nixon wont be accepting any corporate contributions and that instead our campaign will be powered by the people.

The mother of three is far from the first US actor to venture into politics. Republican president Ronald Reagan got his political start after the world of entertainment as a two-term governor of California from 1967 to 1975.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Austrian-born body builder is another actor turned two-term California governor, who was in office from 2003-2011.

Former television comic Al Franken for whom Nixon once campaigned also served as Democratic senator of Minnesota from 2009 to 2018, until he was forced to step down over sexual misconduct allegations.

Source: NAN

Unseeded Naomi Osaka has won her first WTA title and simultaneously, she logged the record as the first Japanese player to win the Indian Wells final, routing Russian Daria Kasatkina 6-3, 6-2 on Sunday.

World number 44 Osaka rolled over Kasatkina, breaking her serve four times and winning the battle of the 20-year-old rising stars in just 70 minutes.

I just knew that she was going to fight for every point, too, said Osaka. So I couldnt afford to lose points based on nerves, and I had to keep making the right decisions.

Osaka captured the title on her first match point by blasting a backhand into the open side of the court.

The Japanese dynamo improved to 13-4 on the season two days after her biggest previous win, a dominating semi-final triumph over world number one Simona Halep.

She was only the fourth unseeded player to reach the Indian Wells final, with the most recent before her being Kim Clijsters in 2005.

The loss ends a brilliant run in the California desert by Kasatkina, who was playing in her second final in a row after a runner-up finish in Dubai.

She was much better today than me, so she really deserved to win, Kasatkina said. Of course, we were both nervous at the beginning, because the biggest finals so far.

But during the match, she was able to manage her nerves and stuff, and I was still a little bit tight during the match. So it is what it is.

Kasatkina was two points from defeat against Venus Williams in the semi-finals but rallied for the upset triumph.

Kasatkina, who wasnt even born when Williams first competed at Indian Wells, said she really felt the nerves getting to her on the big stage in the final.

She called her coach to come down from the stands for advice at one point but couldnt remember after the match what he told her.

I mean, I already forgot what he told me. I was so nervous, that I really forgot, she said.

Osaka blasted five aces, made three double faults and won 79 percent of her first-serve points.

I wasnt really trying to hit hard today, said Osaka, who was born in Osaka, Japan, but is a dual citizen after living in America since the age of three.

I felt like it would be better for her to take my pace.

So I wanted her to do whatever she wanted to do and I was going to sit back and see what she does.

Like Osaka, Kasatkina was playing in her first Indian Wells final. This was the first time both Indian Wells finalists were under age 21 since Serena Williams beat Clijsters in 2001.

The opening set was even until Osaka blasted two aces to take a 4-3 lead. She then broke Kasatkina to make it 5-3 and finished it off with another strong service game.

Osaka pounced on Kasatkina from the beginning of the second set, starting with an opening break of serve.

She also broke Kasatkina to go up 4-1 with another precision forehand winner down the line and never looked back.

Kasatkina is now 1-3 in WTA singles finals, winning in Charleston last year and finishing runner-up last year in Moscow and this year at Dubai.

*AFP

Source: NAN

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would soon commence an online registration to capture the old, new and returning members as part of its re-positioning.

The party was being repositioned to provide every member with equal rights, opportunities and privileges.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, said that with the proposed membership drive through the online registration, it is certain that the party was being returned to the people, whose financial contributions would make them the true owners of the PDP.

Ologbondiyan added that the PDP was also receiving new members from other political parties.

Ologbondiyan added that the party had since perfected a level playing ground as no individual or group can claim ownership or control of the party under the present leadership of PDP.

It is also obvious to all, that our great party, under the leadership of
Prince Uche Secondus, has since been thrown open to all Nigerians for equal and unhindered participation.

This is a development that has led to the renewed interest of Nigerians on our platform as the only true vehicle to return the nation to good governance.

Furthermore, we have already moved forward by inviting members, who had left the party and the responses, which we have received so far, have been very encouraging.

He said that the fears expressed by the former Minister of Niger Delta, Elder Godsday Orubebe, in his open letter were no longer obtainable in the repositioned PDP.

He described Orubebe fears as misplaced as the issues contemplated in his open letter were no longer obtainable in the repositioned PDP.

Ologbondiyan reassured that repositioned and rebranded PDP platform remains the best political vehicle to return Nigeria to the path of good governance and national unity.

He said that PDP had been aggregating opinions of its members and Nigerians at large on the way forward.

As a political party, with mass support of Nigerians and representing all across the six geo-political zones, the 36 states of the federation and the FCT, our new leadership has succeeded in bringing all our members on board.

He added that PDP leadership were now working together more than ever before, to rescue Nigeria from misrule.

Ologbondiyan urged all members to continue to propagate the ideals of PDP.

He also urged Nigerians to engage only in activities that promote unity and the tenets of democracy in line with the vision of our founding fathers and the overall interest of our dear nation.

Today, Nigerians across board are waiting on the PDP to navigate our
collective quest for a return to good governance, national cohesion and
economic prosperity and we cannot afford to disappoint them.

Orubebe in his open letter to Secondus, has said that the PDP was suffering from a post-traumatic stress disorder and would need sustainable ideas to bounce back to reckoning.

He said the party is now under the control of certain individuals, who are exhibiting dangerous levels of undemocratic behaviours.

PDP is still lost in depression and suffering from a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),p the platform has crossed the bridge from pride to shame, the letter read.

We have gone from a party of pride to a party of shame and gradually receding into the abyss of political reality.

For the simple reason that the nation is witnessing calls for the rise of a third force, we are fast becoming a shadow of ourselves.

One of the biggest challenges that the PDP faces is balancing its needs for funding with established egalitarian values and internal systems.

If the party continues to be held hostage by few major donors, it will continue to find it difficult to instil the values that will endear us Nigerians, Orubebe said. (NAN)

Source: NAN