News

N1.1trn Anchor Borrowers’ Loan Default: Tinubu Orders Security Agencies To Recover Cash Before Sept 18

Published

2 years ago

September 2, 2023

The ambitious Anchor Borrowers’ Loan Scheme floated by the Central Bank of Nigeria to make cash available for increased agricultural production in Nigeria has run into a glitch due to the inability of beneficiaries to repay the loan on maturity thereby holding up government funds and denying others from tapping into the scheme, Saturday Vanguard, has discovered.

Findings by the newspaper show that out of the N1.1 trillion disbursed by the CBN to the beneficiaries of the ABS since its inception, only a little above N546 billion has been repaid while a whopping balance of N577 billion remains unaccounted for.

The huge amount being held up by the borrowers, which Saturday Vanguard, understands, includes commercial and microfinance banks, state governments, farmers’ associations, individuals and corporate entities, is said to have angered the Presidency, which feels that the aim of the programme might be derailed, if the huge cash is not immediately retrieved from the debtors.

According to competent sources, who spoke to Vanguard, President Bola Tinubu, who had been briefed severally on the situation, is upset that such amount of money, which could give succor to other farmers, is being withheld by some of the beneficiaries.

One of the security agencies told our correspondent that the President had summoned top security agencies in the country to take all necessary measures to recover the huge amount of government money from the defaulters on or before September 18, 2023 so as to make the cash available to genuine farmers who want safe loans for more food production.

Vanguard learnt that at a meeting with security agencies in Abuja, the president was very upset when he was told that one of the CBN’s subsidiaries was among the defaulting banks, holding up vital cash that was meant for farmers to improve their production and ensure food security in the country.

At the meeting, said to have taken place at the Presidential Villa earlier in the day, the president was told that a subsidiary of the CBN and a commercial bank in the country, had diverted N255 million which they were supposed to give out to farmers and others in dire need of loans to improve their production.

At the same time, the apex bank’s subsidiary and a commercial bank in the country which acted as intermediaries between the borrowers and the CBN, are reported to have fraudulently diverted the sum of N255 million, which they secured from the lender but refused to disburse to the borrowers or return to the CBN.

Some of the beneficiaries, Vanguard learnt, refused to refund the loan as and when due, claiming that they did not make serious returns on their investments and needed more time to be able to pay back to the apex bank, not minding the terms of the deal they had earlier signed.

A top security official told Vanguard on condition of anonymity that many banks’ directors and managers had already been interrogated on the huge loans saga and that many of them had admitted to securing the said loans and the alleged breaches regarding the repayment.

“I can tell you authoritatively that we have written to all the defaulters and many bank officials have confessed of their role in the huge loan scandal and they are willing to take necessary steps to pay back the loans,” a source familiar with the development, told Vanguard.

“We have also written to all the debtors and some of the banks, whose top managers we have already summoned and grilled, have assured us that they will refund the cash outstanding in their names on or before the September 18 deadline,” the source added.

Some of the farmers’ groups which took part in the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, an ambitious CBN programme to promote agricultural production, include Maize Farmers’ Association, Soya beans and Cotton Farmers’ Association.

However, findings showed that while the Maize Producers Association took a loan of N39 billion from the CBN under the ABP, it has been able to refund a total of N23 billion while Cotton farmers took a loan of N14 billion and has been able to refund N5 billion so far.

But contacted most of the spokesmen for the security agencies in Abuja declined to speak on the presidential order for them to recover the money and return it to the CBN.

Although the Spokesman for the DSS, Dr. Peter Afunanya, declined to comment on the matter, he said however that there was nothing unusual for the president to order security agencies to act in national security matters.

News

Expert Identify Foods That Increase Hypertension Medication’s Effectiveness

Published

6 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Editor

Hypertension remains one of the leading causes of premature death worldwide, contributing significantly to heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure. Despite the availability of effective antihypertensive drugs, long-term control of high blood pressure is often challenging because of drug resistance, side effects, and poor adherence.

This has fueled growing scientific interest in complementary strategies that can enhance drug efficacy while minimising toxicity. One promising approach is the combination of conventional antihypertensive medications with herbs and spices in many kitchens.

Recent evidence suggests that augmenting modern antihypertensive drugs with foods rich in p-coumaric acid, a naturally occurring phenolic acid, may offer a novel and effective strategy for blood pressure control.

Phenolic compounds, commonly found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, are known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and blood vessel–protective properties.

In a study, researchers investigated the combined effects of lisinopril, a widely used antihypertensive drugs and p-coumaric acid on hypertension.

They reported in the Comparative Clinical Pathology that p-coumaric acid enhance the antihypertensive action of lisinopril, potentially allowing for improved blood pressure control without increasing drug dosage.

The study used an established animal model in which hypertension was induced in rats through oral administration of L-NAME, a compound known to suppress nitric oxide production and raise blood pressure.

Following the induction of hypertension, the animals were treated for 14 days with p-coumaric acid (at two different doses), lisinopril alone, or a combination of both.

Untreated hypertensive rats showed significantly elevated activities of key enzymes linked to high blood pressure such as ACE, arginase, acetylcholinesterase, and phosphodiesterase-5 along with increased lipid peroxidation, an indicator of oxidative stress. At the same time, levels of nitric oxide, a critical molecule for blood vessel relaxation, were markedly reduced.

By contrast, rats treated with a combination of lisinopril and p-coumaric acid experienced notable improvements. Blood pressure was better controlled; harmful enzyme activities were reduced, oxidative stress declined, and nitric oxide levels increased. These improvements were mirrored in the tissues the heart compared with untreated hypertensive animals.

They said that the findings suggest that p-coumaric acid may enhance the antihypertensive action of lisinopril, potentially allowing for improved blood pressure control without increasing drug dosage.

This drug–food interaction model is particularly important in the circumstance of long-term hypertension management. Many patients rely on lifelong medication, and strategies that can improve treatment outcomes while reducing side effects are highly desirable.

The study also reinforces the growing recognition that diet is not merely supportive but can be biologically active in disease control.

The use of medicinal plants and plant-based therapies in the management of hypertension is deeply rooted in traditional medicine across many cultures. While such practices have often existed outside conventional healthcare systems, modern scientific research is now providing evidence-based explanations for their effectiveness.

While these findings are based on animal studies and cannot yet be directly translated into clinical recommendations for humans, they open the door to future research on dietary strategies that can safely complement antihypertensive drugs.

Further clinical studies are needed to determine appropriate dosages, safety profiles, and real-world effectiveness.

In the fight against hypertension, the future may lie not only in new drugs, but also in smarter combinations, where medicine and nutrition work together to deliver better, safer outcomes for patients.

Such nutrition to help maintain healthy blood pressure includes garlic, potatoes, walnuts,tomato and tomato products, legumes and citrus fruits (grapefruits and oranges).
(TRIBUNE)

News

Researchers Develop Treatment For Advanced Prostate Cancer

Published

7 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Editor

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have developed a treatment for advanced prostate cancer that could eliminate a side effect so debilitating that patients often refuse the life-saving therapy.

The innovative approach, according to the researchers, targets prostate cancer cells just as successfully as existing treatments while causing significantly less harm to salivary glands.

For many people with prostate cancer, it relieves the extreme dry mouth that makes speaking, chewing, and swallowing nearly impossible.

According to the findings published in Molecular Imaging and Biology, the treatment targets PSMA (Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen), a protein present in high numbers on prostate cancer cells.

Radioligand therapy (RTL) attaches radioactive material to a targeting molecule that acts like a GPS system, guiding the radiation directly to cancer cells while avoiding healthy tissue.

Current PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy is one of the most promising precision cancer treatments for end-stage prostate cancer because it acts as a “smart bomb” that locates and destroys cancer cells.

The downside, however, is that this therapy often causes severe salivary gland damage, resulting in extreme dry mouth that can be so debilitating that patients choose to stop treatment that might save their lives.

James P. Basilion, professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Case Western Reserve and co-leader of the Cancer Imaging Program at the Case Comprehensive Cancer Centre (Case CCC), explained that various strategies to mitigate this side effect have been attempted before, with limited success.

According to the study, PSMA-1-DOTA has a four-fold greater affinity for prostate cancer cells than current therapies.

In addition to having the same tumour-fighting effectiveness as the current standard radioligand therapy, it also significantly reduced damage to the tear and salivary glands, almost eliminating the risk of dry mouth.

This discovery has the potential to significantly alter the treatment of prostate cancer by making PSMA-targeted therapy an earlier intervention rather than a “last resort.”

The research included comprehensive testing on mouse models and in a human patient with metastatic prostate cancer at the Technical University of Munich in Germany.

The patient study confirmed the lab findings, showing the new treatment avoided the salivary glands (potentially preventing dry mouth) while still finding and attacking prostate cancer cells.

The researchers, from now on, are preparing for clinical trials late this year on about 12 prostate patients to validate the promising results and establish the most effective dosing procedures.
(TRIBUNE)

News

Norway ‘Foolishly’ Chose Not To Award Me Nobel Peace Prize Despite Ending Eight Wars — Trump

Published

7 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Editor

United States President, Donald Trump, has criticised Norway for not awarding him the Nobel Peace Prize, insisting that his actions on global security and diplomacy merited the honour.

In a post on his Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump said his administration compelled NATO members to significantly increase their defence spending, arguing that many countries were previously failing to meet their financial obligations while the United States bore the burden.

He maintained that his intervention pushed allies to raise defence contributions to five per cent of their gross domestic product, a move he described as previously thought impossible.

The president also claimed that his involvement prevented Russia from fully taking over Ukraine, adding that his absence from global affairs would have emboldened Moscow.

He further asserted that he single-handedly brought an end to eight wars, a record he said was overlooked by the Nobel committee in Norway, which is a NATO member.

Trump emphasised that his priority was saving lives rather than receiving awards, stating that millions of lives were preserved through his actions.

He warned that without the United States, NATO would command little fear or respect from rival powers such as Russia and China, and expressed doubt that the alliance would come to America’s aid in a moment of need.

Reaffirming his commitment to NATO, Trump said the United States would continue to support the alliance even if that support was not reciprocated.

He also credited his leadership with rebuilding the US military during his first term and sustaining its strength, describing the United States as the only nation that Russia and China truly fear and respect.

He wrote, “Remember, for all of those big NATO fans, they were at 2% GDP, and most weren’t paying their bills, UNTIL I CAME ALONG. The USA was, foolishly, paying for them! I, respectfully, got them to 5% GDP, AND THEY PAY, immediately.

“Everyone said that couldn’t be done, but it could, because, beyond all else, they are all my friends. Without my involvement, Russia would have ALL OF UKRAINE right now. Remember, also, I single-handedly ENDED 8 WARS, and Norway, a NATO Member, foolishly chose not to give me the Noble Peace Prize. But that doesn’t matter! What does matter is that I saved Millions of Lives.

“RUSSIA AND CHINA HAVE ZERO FEAR OF NATO WITHOUT THE UNITED STATES, AND I DOUBT NATO WOULD BE THERE FOR US IF WE REALLY NEEDED THEM. EVERYONE IS LUCKY THAT I REBUILT OUR MILITARY IN MY FIRST TERM, AND CONTINUE TO DO SO. We will always be there for NATO, even if they won’t be there for us. The only Nation that China and Russia fear and respect is the DJT REBUILT U.S.A. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!! President DJT.”