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Nigerian billionaire donates $1 million for fight to eradicate polio; Nigeria has most victims

By Associated Press, Updated: Wednesday, June 26, 4:06 PM

LAGOS, Nigeria — Billionaire Sir Emeka Offor is donating $1.25 million to the Rotary Club's PolioPlus program to eradicate the paralyzing disease that attacks more people in his country, Nigeria, than any other in the world.

In a statement received Wednesday the oil and gas tycoon says "polio should have no place in our world."

Nigeria is the sticking point for efforts to rid the world of polio because of opposition from northern Muslim leaders who falsely preach that the vaccinations cause sterility and AIDS. The project also is opposed by Islamic extremists blamed for the killings of nine women health workers as they were vaccinating children against polio in northern Kano city in February.

Offor said the number of documented cases in Nigeria rose from 62 in 2011 to 122 last year.

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