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Nigeria’s Borno state hit by cholera amid flood devastation

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By Ahmed Kingimi

ABUJA (Reuters) – A cholera outbreak has hit Nigeria’s northeastern Borno state, already reeling from floods that displaced nearly 2 million people, an official said on Friday.

Cholera outbreaks are not uncommon in Borno, the epicentre of a 15-year-old Islamist insurgency that has displaced thousands into camps and strained sanitation facilities and potable water sources.

Borno Health Commissioner Baba Mallam Gana told reporters that 17 cases have been recorded following tests, but no deaths so far.

“However, we are recording an increasing number of Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD)/suspected Cholera which is not unconnected with the flood devastation,” Gana said.

Almost 500 cases of AWD have been recorded, Gana said, with five local government areas mostly affected.

Flooding in Borno began when a dam overflowed following heavy rains, displacing millions from their homes and damaging health facilities and other infrastructures.

Gana said that to combat the latest outbreak, the state got 300,000 oral cholera vaccine (OCV) doses from the federal health ministry, which have been distributed across displacement camps and flood-hit communities.

The state is waiting for an additional 600,000 doses of the vaccine to ensure adequate coverage, he said.

(Reporting by Ahmed Kingimi; Writing by Elisha Bala-Gbogbo; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

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Abia Govt Begins Major Crackdown On Street Trading, Road Obstructions In Aba

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Abia State Government, through its Harmonized Taskforce, carried out an extensive enforcement operation in Aba, targeting street trading, illegal parking, road obstructions, and unauthorized loading and offloading of vehicles.

This decisive action, tagged “Operation Restore Absolute Sanity,” is to instill orderliness, cleanliness, and civility in the state.

The operation covered major junctions and roads, including Osisioma Junction, Tonimas, Enyimba, Double Pole, Ariaria Junction, and Park Road.

Traders and motorists who had encroached on public spaces and blocked drains were compelled to vacate these areas, as the taskforce dismantled illegal structures and cleared obstructions.

Led by Bob Wogu, the chairman of the Abia State Harmonized Taskforce, and joined by the Commissioner for Transport, Hon. Uzor Nwachukwu, the enforcement team showcased its resolve to restore sanity to the bustling commercial city.

Speaking during the exercise, Hon. Nwachukwu emphasized the government’s zero-tolerance policy towards activities that impede free movement and endanger public health and safety.

The taskforce had earlier issued warnings, urging residents and traders to voluntarily remove illegal structures and desist from trading on roads and gutters.

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Residents Rush To Scoop Groundnut Oil As Another Tanker Overturns In Niger, Three Days After 98 Were Killed In Explosion.

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Trending videos show dozens of residents in Bida town, Niger State, collecting groundnut oil after a tanker overturned near Shafa filling station in the Esso area.

According to reports, the incident occurred on Tuesday morning, just three days after the deadly tanker explosion on Dikko-Maje Road, near Badeggi filling station in Suleja Local Government Area, which resulted in the loss of 98 lives.

Reports indicate that those gathered to collect the spilling fuel were caught in an explosion, which also impacted those trying to assist the victims.

The fire spread across a large area, leaving behind charred remains and widespread destruction.

The explosion is said to have occurred around 9:00 am while efforts were underway to transfer PMS from the overturned tanker to another vehicle.

Despite the recent tragic incident in Suleja Local Government Area, new videos from Tuesday morning show residents in Bida approaching the fallen truck with jerry cans and buckets to collect the spilled groundnut oil near a filling station in the town.

 

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Ekweremadu’s wife returns to Nigeria after release from UK prison

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Mrs. Beatrice Ekweremadu, wife of former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has returned to Nigeria, according to the Vanguard Newspaper.

It will be recalled that Senator Ekweremadu, his wife, and Dr. Obinna Obeta were sentenced by a UK court on charges related to organ harvesting.

The former Deputy Senate President was sentenced to 10 years in prison, while Mrs Ekweremadu received a six-year sentence.

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