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Omicron: FG Begins Giving Booster Shots, US Donates 2.5 Million Doses

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The Federal Government will today (Friday) begin the administration of booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

The federal government had approved booster shots for Nigerians that have completed two doses of AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer BioNTech, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson.

The National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) had said eligible Nigerians should visit health centers and mass vaccination sites from December 10 to get their booster dose.

Speaking on Thursday at the flag-off of the mass vaccination of refugees, migrants, and internally displaced persons (IDPs), Faisal Shuaib, executive director of NPHCDA, said the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine has been approved as booster shots.

“Following the detection of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in Nigeria, the federal government reviewed the country’s vaccination programme and resolved to introduce the booster dose using the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine across the country,” he said.

Giving further clarification, Yanda Muhammad, NPHCDA spokesman, told TheCable that the Pfizer vaccine is the only vaccine recommenced by the federal government as a booster dose.

He said those who have received complete doses of other brands of the COVID-19 vaccine can take the Pfizer vaccine as a booster shot.

“Pfizer vaccine is the only vaccine recommended for booster vaccination regardless of previous brands of vaccines taken,” he said.

US donates additional 2.5m doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Nigeria
In a related development, the United States Embassy has received 2.5 million Pfizer vaccine doses in Abuja, which were presented to the National Primary Health Care Development Agency for cold storage.

The vaccines will be distributed to over 3,000 health facilities across the country.

The mission in a statement on Thursday, titled, ‘US donates additional 2.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Nigeria this week,’ said the vaccines would be available at major markets, shopping malls, event centers, motor parks, airports, places of employment, and religious institutions as part of Nigeria’s mass vaccination campaign.

It said, “To date, the United States has donated more than 13.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine in partnership with COVAX, or bilaterally to Nigeria.

“Additionally, the United States has provided more than $119 million in COVID-19 related health assistance. This includes a 40-bed mobile field hospital, ventilators and related training for 88 hospitals, personal protective equipment, technical assistance for vaccine readiness, risk communication and demand generation for vaccines, conducting an epidemiological COVID-19 detection and vaccine hesitancy survey, setting up electronic record systems, rapid response teams, training for over 200,000 military and civilian personnel on COVID-19 control measures, and technology for virtual training.”

In addition, the US said it had also leveraged the PEPFAR-supported National Integrated Specimen Referral Network and laboratory investments to support the expansion of the 153 molecular laboratory network nationwide.

The mission quoted the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, who noted earlier this month that “the COVID-19 pandemic won’t end for any country until it ends for all countries.

“Otherwise, the virus will keep replicating around the world, people will keep getting sick and dying, and we won’t be able to safely reopen our economies or travel around the world for business and tourism the way we used to. That’s why the United States is committed to helping end the pandemic in Nigeria and everywhere.”

The US expressed its commitment to donate more than one billion vaccine doses around the world, by early 2022 and in African countries primarily through the COVAX initiative.

BIG STORY

Lil Smart Files Petition Against Naira Marley, Zinoleesky Over ‘Threat To Life’

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Lil Smart, the Nigerian dancer, has filed a petition against Naira Marley and Zinoleesky over an alleged threat to his life.

On December 9, Smart shared disturbing photos and videos on social media, claiming that his life was at risk.

He warned that Naira Marley and Zinoleesky should be held responsible if anything were to happen to him.

Zinoleesky, however, denied the allegations, accusing Smart of “chasing clout.” He also threatened legal action against the dancer.

In a recent (now deleted) Instagram post, Smart claimed that he had previously endured bullying from the singers but lacked the evidence necessary to take legal action.

He mentioned that he has now officially submitted his petition, with the required evidence, to the authorities and is hopeful that the legal system will provide him justice.

“This has not been the first or third time I have been experiencing this bullying. But I did not have enough evidence to face the law. Now, I thank God that I have very good evidence, and I will put everything I have in line to make sure this bullying and threat to life is stopped,” he said.

“With my evidence, I really hope that they are not too big to be apprehended and face the law. I have submitted my petition, and I have provided my evidence to the authorities. By God’s grace, the law that binds us as citizens of Nigeria will make sure I get the justice I deserve.”

Naira Marley has yet to comment on the allegations.

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BREAKING: Court Grants Yahaya Bello N500m Bail Amid “N110.4bn Fraud” Case

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The Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja on Thursday granted the immediate past Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, bail in the sum of N500 million and three sureties.

The trial judge, Justice MaryAnne Anenih, made the pronouncement after hearing the fresh bail application brought before the court following the court’s refusal to grant Bello bail at the previous sitting.

Bello, alongside two others, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are facing trial on 16 counts brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, concerning criminal breach of trust and money laundering amounting to N110.4 billion.

However, the court granted bail to the second and third defendants in the sum of N300 million with two sureties, along with other conditions.

Outlining the conditions for Bello’s bail, the judge stated that the sureties must be responsible citizens who are landowners in any of the listed areas in Abuja – Maitama, Guzape, Apo, Wuse 2, or Asokoro.

She ordered that the sureties must deposit the documents of the property with the court’s registrar, along with two recent passport photographs.

Justice Anenih also ordered that Bello must deposit two copies of his recent passport photograph, alongside a photocopy of a means of identification, which could either be an International Passport or National Identity card, after presenting the original to the court’s registrar.

She ruled, “The first defendant must not travel without the permission of this court, and he shall remain in the Kuje Correctional Facility until the bail conditions are met.”

Recall that on December 10, the court had rejected Bello’s bail request, citing procedural irregularities in the filing of the application.

Justice Anenih, while delivering the ruling, explained that the application was premature and filed before Bello was present in court or custody.

The court noted that the bail application, dated November 22, 2024, was submitted before Bello’s arraignment, which took place on November 27, 2024, days after he was taken into custody on November 26, 2024.

She said, “Having not been filed when the first defendant was either in custody or before the court, this instant application is incompetent.”

“Consequently, the application, having been filed prematurely, is hereby refused.”

 

More to come…

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‘N110bn Fraud’: Court To Hear Yahaya Bello’s Fresh Bail Application Today

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A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court will today hear the bail application filed by Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi.

Bello and his co-defendants, Umar Shoaib Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, were arraigned on November 27 before the FCT court on a 16-count charge related to alleged money laundering amounting to N110 billion.

On December 10, Maryann Anenih, the trial judge, adjourned the case to January 29 and 30, and February 25 and 27, after refusing to grant bail to the former governor.

The trial judge declined Bello’s bail request on the grounds that the application was filed prematurely.

Anenih stated that the bail application was submitted before the ex-governor was taken into custody.

The judge emphasized that the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2025 stipulate that bail applications could be tendered once a defendant has been arrested, detained, arraigned, or brought before the court.

Although Bello was arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on November 26 and arraigned the following day, his bail application was filed on November 22, four days before his arrest.

Bello’s legal team, led by Joseph Daudu, has filed a new bail application, and the court has agreed to hear the application on December 19.

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