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Family demands justice from WHO over death of Nigerian Medical Doctor in Jordan

Published

2 years ago

November 19, 2024

Advocate News Nigeria

Late Dr Chukwuemeka Agbo

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There is growing concern by family, friends and the general citizens over a Nigerian polio specialist, Dr Chukwuemeka Agbo, working with the World Health Organization (WHO), who was allegedly killed on June 9, 2024, in Amman, Jordan, where he was working for the international agency as a polio technical officer.

According to WHO, Emeka, aged 45, was a valued member of its workforce for ten years, supporting immunization, polio eradication, and Ebola outbreak response in the African and Eastern Mediterranean regions. He joined the Polio Eradication team in Amman Jordan early this year in February 2024.

Family sources said that a few weeks prior to his death, Agbo expressed deep concerns due to the persistent hostile attitudes of some WHO colleagues since he took up his position in the WHO office in Jordan.

On the early morning of Sunday, June 9, 2024, he was found dead on the back of the first floor of his apartment, probably killed. At the time of notification, the family was told by WHO in Amman that he fell from the roof of a three-storey building to the ground – a story which turned out to be different from the information received by the family while in Amman, Jordan as more enquiries were made.

• Dr Agbo on duty in Amman Jordan before his suspicious death

Agbo’s brother, Jideofor Agbo, who traveled to Amman from London to identify the deceased, said that when he saw Emeka’s corpse, it didn’t look like someone who fell from any height. He said that the injuries on the body of his brother looked like someone who had been attacked. Two autopsies have since been conducted to ascertain what happened to Dr. Emeka Agbo. One of the autopsies was conducted by the Jordanian authorities, and the second was conducted in Nigeria at the request of the family.

According to Jideofor, “The reputable pathologists confirmed that my brother’s skull was shattered by blunt force trauma and conclusively ruled out suicide or accidental death. We have requested the initial report from WHO Jordan on how they concluded that my brother fell from the roof of the three-storey building to the ground. They are yet to respond to this request.

“The lack of communication from the Jordanian authorities also has been a significant challenge, and we are concerned that the delay may result in loss of crucial evidence,” Jideofor further lamented.”

The family lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), believes that based on the autopsy findings, the cause of Dr. Chukwuemeka Agbo’s death is homicide and called for justice. Falana noted that the doctors examined the body and established a case of massive intracranial hemorrhage (bleeding within the brain or its surrounding tissues), multiple skull fractures, and injuries that could not have arisen from a single fall.

“According to him, “The autopsy suggested consistent trauma, and interestingly, the findings of the pathologists here were reconfirmed by the Jordanian autopsy in their investigation. The World Health Organization should have investigated the incident even without demand from the family. I wrote to the Director General of the WHO on behalf of the family, and I’m yet to receive a response from him,” stated Falana.

Before joining the Polio Eradication Programme in Amman, Dr Agbo served as the GPEI Coordinator for Kenya, managing the response to cholera and polio outbreaks.

From February 2022 to December 2023, he served as the GPEI Coordinator in Malawi, where he led the outbreak responses to the importation of wild poliovirus type 1, measles, and cholera. For 10 years, he served WHO and the Gates Foundation and successfully led large-scale responses to disease outbreaks in the Horn of Africa.

Before joining WHO, Dr. Agbo worked in the private sector and with a non-profit organization as a medical officer in the Netherlands and Nigeria. Married with three children, Emeka hailed from Neke in Isi-Uzo local government area of Enugu state.

Citizens are of the opinion that the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Diaspora Commission should step in to find out from the WHO in Amman on how they arrived at the submission that Dr. Agbo fell from the balcony, which his autopsy has proved otherwise. Medical health practitioners are also afraid that if Agbo’s homicide is left unresolved, the lives of Nigerians embarking on foreign medical missions may as well be in jeopardy.

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50 Zamfara Elders on reconciliation visit to bandit leader abducted

Published

44 minutes ago

June 8, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

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Jammo, the bandits’ kingpin in charge of Muntsira Forest in Maradun LGA of Zamfara, reportedly kidnapped them.

The chairman of Maradun Local Government, Hon. Bello Dosara, confirmed the incident to Daily Trust, but said the people decided to meet with the bandit kingpin without government’s clearance.

“We are against reconciliation with the bandits, and Governor Dauda Lawal never supported that, but unknown to us the people chose to go on with it,” Dosara said.

Dosara further said the bandits’ kingpin blocked the village access to the market, but he constantly maintained giving them weekly security backup to come to the market and return home.

“I wonder why, how they go and meet their rivals; they block access to the market, and I support them with security every week,” Dosara expressed his worries.

The council chairman further confirmed the release of 11 people, while the remaining 39 are still in captivity.

“He released some to just brief the people on the unfortunate incident,” he added.

Also speaking, the Councillor of Magami/Faru ward, Bello Husseini, revealed that previously the bandits kingpin Jammo, who is terrorizing the area, had an encounter with the Zamfara State security outfit ‘Askarawa” where they killed two of his lieutenants and carted away their rifles.

However, during the last fasting period, the bandits, who were on a reprisal attack, also killed two Askarawa personnel and took away their rifles.

“You see we are one to one; they killed two of us and took away their rifles, and we also killed them and possessed their firearms initially,” Husseini said.

Husseini added that the bandit Kingpin requested reconciliation after one of his boys was killed in a recent military operation at Kandare village, which the people granted on their own against the government policy.

According to him, the communities sent in a 50-man committee and on their arrival, Jamm betrayed and kidnapped them but later released 11 people.

Hon. Husseini said Jammo is currently demanding N24 million for the three seized rifles.

“We are against any form of reconciliation because we know they are not trustworthy; they can speak one true statement against a hundred lies.”

“The people he held hostage were elderly, and he had no reason to hold them hostage; he betrayed them by saying he is tired of banditry and opted for reconciliation,” Husseini said.

The Councillor further stated that he migrated from his ward due to insecurity, despite the fact that he is against reconciliation in whatever form.

The chairman and the Councilor jointly called on government and security forces to launch an attack on the “Dajin Natsira” as the bandits never experienced confrontation throughout the history of banditry in Zamfara State.

“They have never been attacked by any security forces, and we are optimistic that if the government wants to help these people, one patrol five kilometres away from the village will yield a very good positive result.”

“Whenever the forest was bombed, 6 local government areas out of the 14 in the state, such as Talata Mafara, Bakura, Anka, Gummi, Bukkuyum, Maru and Bungudu, will definitely be peaceful.”

They also urged Governor Lawal and the Minister for Defence Bello Matawalle to come to their aid.

Hon. Husseini said Jammo was the overall ruler of the Dajin Natsira, which comprises Bayan ruwa, Kwargwaro, Aljumma Fulani, Gidan Dawa and Kyetare but each segment has its own leader.

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2027: Former Power Minister, Barth Nnaji Endorses Gov Mbah, Tinubu for Reelection

Published

3 hours ago

June 8, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

Prof Barth Nnaji with Gov Peter Mbah during his visit to Enugu Government House on Monday

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Former Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji, has endorsed Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State and President Bola Tinubu for a second term in office, saying the governor has done exceedingly well.

Nnaji announced the endorsement while fielding questions from Government House correspondents during a visit to Mbah on Monday, citing several landmark achievements of the governor in just three years.

The former Minister said he was unavoidably absent at the weekend when the people of Enugu East Senatorial District endorsed Mbah and President Tinubu at a massive rally, but maintained that politics was about lineup and he was fully in support of the president’s endorsement and reelection.

Prof Barth Nnaji and Gov Peter Mbah

“It should not be a surprise that I am in support of my younger brother. You may not be aware that during the run-up to the 2023 election, I led a group of key stakeholders in Nkanu East to campaign, going to all the key stakeholders in Enugu State, asking them to, please, consider Nkanu East; that we had not had the opportunity of holding this position. And because of that lack of opportunity, Nkanu East was about the only local government that did not have any real government presence.

“If you are in, say, the Idodo area where the governor and I come from, you had to go through four local governments before you got to the headquarters of our own LGA. This needed to change. And so now all that is changing because of the work of His Excellency, our governor. And you can see that to go from that Idodo area to Amagunze, our local government headquarters, is now a matter of a few minutes. That has totally changed the calculation,” he stated.

Continuing, he lauded the governor’s strides in the areas of security, infrastructure, and healthcare, which he said were not only critical enablers of economic growth, but also key to reversing brain drain and overseas medical tourism.

“There are so many other reasons why we have to all come and encourage our governor for what he is doing and to do more.

Gov Peter Mbah and Prof Barth Nnaji

“I was just talking with him about the two major criteria for people to come back to Nigeria instead of the ‘Japa’ syndrome of running away. Those two would be security, and the second is high-quality healthcare. So, the development of the Enugu International Hospital, which will have the sort of equipment that people run elsewhere to access, is something that is quite innovative for Nigeria.

“We are not lacking in high-quality doctors because we have them, except that many of them have run away. So, this hospital here will bring them back and begin to reverse healthcare tourism.

“Then there are all the infrastructure projects, the roads of standard quality that have been built or are ongoing across the state, and so on.

“Therefore, my presence here is to encourage him and support him so that by the next term, we should be able to see a lot more. That is the point,” he added.

Nnaji urged other people jostling for the office of governor in 2027 to join hands with the governor to consolidate on his achievements and actualise his lofty vision for the state.

Citing his personal experiences, he described Mbah as a listening leader and called on other stakeholders in the state to offer their advice where necessary.

“The whole idea is for all of us to join together to support the governor for the next term. It is okay for people to run for office, but you have to look at the future. What are we really trying to gain?

“If we are doing well, then the thing is to encourage the governor and his government to do more for the people.

“The other thing is that key stakeholders in the state should be able to come and be part of advising for the better. I mean, a governor is not God. A governor is a person of excellence who should be able to move the state forward. But in doing so, wherever there are things that are not going the way people want, we should be able to tell him. And he will listen. I believe he absolutely listens. From all the discussions that we have been having, I know he listens,” he concluded.

On Tinubu’s reelection, he asserted, “On the support for the President, there is a lineup for the office. And that lineup is very important – both the up-ballot and down-ballot candidates usually have to be supported by clear-thinking people. That is what we are doing.”

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Terror attack rumour: UNN beefs up security on Nsukka Campus, bans okada riders

Published

1 day ago

June 7, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

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The management of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), has assured staff, students and parents of adequate security on campus, dismissing as false and unsubstantiated reports circulating on social media about an alleged impending terrorist attack and mass abduction of students.

In a statement issued on Saturday by the Acting Public Relations Officer of the university, Mr. Inya Agha Egwu, the institution said there was no credible security intelligence or verified threat supporting the claims contained in the viral social media post.

The university, however, disclosed that it had adopted additional precautionary measures to further strengthen security across the Nsukka campus.

According to the statement, personnel of the Nigerian Police Force and the Nigerian Army have been deployed to strategic entry points within the university to complement the efforts of the institution’s security unit.

Management also announced the temporary closure of some access gates to the campus to enhance monitoring and regulation of movement into and out of the university.

As part of the new security measures, motorcycle operations within the campus have been suspended with immediate effect. Only motorcycles belonging to authorised security personnel will be allowed beyond the university gates.

Staff members who use motorcycles for transportation have been advised to park them at designated locations outside the campus before proceeding to their offices.

The university urged members of the academic community to remain calm and continue their normal activities without fear, stressing that there was no known security threat to the institution.

It also cautioned against the spread of unverified information capable of causing unnecessary panic and anxiety among students, staff and the general public.
While reiterating its commitment to maintaining a safe environment for teaching, learning and research, the management encouraged students and staff to remain vigilant and promptly report any suspicious movement or activity to the University Security Department or relevant security agencies.

“Security is a collective responsibility, and the cooperation of all staff, students and stakeholders is essential in maintaining the peaceful and secure environment for which the University of Nigeria is known,” the statement said.

The university further advised the public to treat anonymous social media posts and unverified online messages with caution, particularly those containing sensational claims intended to generate fear and uncertainty.