Troops of the Nigerian Army in the North-East have announced the rescue of Lydia Simon, a Chibok girl who had been held captive by Boko Haram terrorists for 10 years.

This was made known in a statement by the Department of Army Public Relations on Thursday.

Millitary authorities said Lydia was rescued along with her three children by troops conducting Operation Desert Sanity III, around Ngoshe in the Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.

READ ALSO: Boko Haram Kills Two In Fresh Chibok Raid

According to the statement, Lydia was on serial number 68 among the abducted missing Chibok Secondary School girls.

She was five months pregnant at the time of her rescue and claimed to be from Pemi Town in Chibok.

The statement added that Nigerian Army troops deployed for counter- terrorism and counter- insurgency operations in the North Central on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 successfully ambushed and neutralised three terrorists, who were on a mission to wreak havoc.

Statistics released by parents of the abducted schoolgirls showed that 271 students were kidnapped but 57 girls escaped shortly in 2014, while 103 were released through the intervention of the Federal Government.

Similarly, 20 others were freed through the efforts of the state government.

However, 92 students are still in captivity.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC ,on Wednesday was granted a warrant by a Federal High Court in Abuja to apprehend Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi State.

The warrant was issued following an ex parte motion filed by the EFCC.

In his ruling on the motion, Justice Emeka Nwite also directed that the former governor be produced before him on Thursday, April 18, for arraignment.

He said, “It is hereby ordered as follows:

“That an order of this honourable court is hereby made directing and/or issuing a warrant for the immediate arrest of the defendant to bring him before this honourable court for arraignment.

“That case is adjourned to the 18th day of April 2024 for arraignment.”

Earlier, a Lokoja High Court restrained the EFCC from arresting, detaining and prosecuting the immediate past governor of Kogi State.

READ ALSO: JUST IN: Kogi Gov Visits Yahaya Bello Amidst EFCC Siege

Meanwhile, the incumbent governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo, on Wednesday, helped the embattled former governor of the state escape arrest by operatives of the EFCC.

The PUNCH correspondent, who was at the ex-governor’s residence, observed Ododo’s arrival with heavy security at about 2:30 pm on Wednesday.

About two hours later, at exactly 4:20 pm, Ododo’s entourage drove out with Bello in the governor’s car.

About 10 minutes after the governor and former governor left, EFCC operatives laying siege to Bello’s home retreated from Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.

By Silver Yeibake 

Hiccups, or singultus, are involuntary contractions of the diaphragm muscle. It is an abnormal breathing pattern.

Normal breathing is possible as the diaphragm, a muscle directly under the lungs that separates the chest from the abdomen, works together with other chest muscles by contracting and relaxing in a controlled manner, allows air to enter and leave the lungs at a fixed amount and rate.
Irritation of this major muscle makes it contract involuntarily, causing a sudden intake of air, which is then stopped by the vocal cords (a set of soft tissues in our throat that is involved in voice generation) closing, resulting in the the characteristic “HIC” sound

Hiccups are normally harmless and transitory, but they can be annoying and disruptive. The condition usually lasts a few minutes but can persist for up to 2 days.

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Although the specific cause of hiccups are not always evident, they can be provoked by several events such as eating too rapidly, eating large meals, consuming carbonated beverages, hot ir spicy food, indigestion, excessive alcohol intake, smoking, bad odours, abrupt temperature changes, emotional stress and pregnancy.

Frequent and prolonged hiccups (lasting more than 2 days) are triggered by diseases like oesophagitis (inflammation of the gullet), pneumonia (inflammation of the lungs), pleurisy (inflammation of the coverings of the lungs), stroke, brain tumour, thyroid disease, kidney disease, some epilepsy medicines, nicotine gum, chest and abdominal surgeries.

READ ALSO: Food Poisoning: What You Need To Know

To relieve hiccups, several measures are designed to disrupt the abnormal breathing pattern and restore normal respiration. These include breathing into a paper bag, sipping ice-cold or hot water, holding of breath, taking of deep breaths, eating a spoonful of sugar, sit down and lean forward over the knees, suck on a slice of lemon.

When hiccups are prolonged (chronic forms) or are severe enough to affect sleep, rest, eating, drinking, or other important functions, the patient should consult competent medical experts for proper evaluation and treatment is necessary.

Dr. Yeibake, Weriwoyingipre Silver, a
Senior Registrar, Faculty Of Pediatrics, West Africa College of Physician (WACP), writes from Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.