Nigerian Newspapers: 10 things you need to know this Thursday morning

Good morning! Here is today’s news summary from Nigeria newspapers:

1. The Nigerian Army said on Wednesday that about 39 of its missing soldiers who were attacked last week by suspected Boko Haram insurgents in Borno, have now returned to base. Maj.-Gen. Lucky Irabor, the Theater Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, stated this while briefing newsmen in Maiduguri. He said, however, that some of the missing soldiers are yet to return to base.

2. President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the re-appointment of Dr Yemi Kale as the Statistician General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
His reappointment is for another term of five years after having stayed in office since 2011.

3. Nigeria’s naira, on Wednesday went down against the dollar, in what is said to be its weakest level on the black market in more than a week as it stood at 460 to the dollar after the channeling of dollars to retail currency outlets failed to ease liquidity shortages. On the official market, the naira ended at 305.50 per dollar, a level it has closed at for more than two months, due to central bank’s interventions.

4. Following allegation of extra-juadicial killings raised against the police at different times, the House of Representatives has summoned the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, to appear before it and explain the actions of his men. Idris is to appear before the House Committees on Police Affairs and Human Rights, along with heads of other security agencies.

5. The Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas workers, NUPENG, has given the Federal Government a 21-day ultimatum to prevail on oil companies to recall its sacked members, else it will embark on an industrial action.
NUPENG, in a communiqué read by the Central Working Committee in Warri, Delta state, warned that Federal Government’s failure to halt the mass sack and recall its members will lead to mass action.

6. A prosecution witness, Orji Chukwuma, has informed a Federal High Court in Lagos that former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Patrick Akpolobokemi, paid N40m rent for an apartment in Banana Island in the state.
Chukwuma, on Wednesday tendered the receipt which covered a two year tenancy before the court as evidence.
Akpolobokemi paid the N40m in three tranches of N12m; N14m and N14m respectively as provided in the evidence.

7. A press briefing fixed for Wednesday to address the sex scandal rocking Miss Anambra, Chidinma Okeke, was disrupted following information that some gunmen would attack the secretariat of the NUJ where the conference was scheduled to hold. Report says the conference which would have exposed politicians behind the sex scandal was stopped abruptly after journalists received calls that some gunmen were invading the secretariat.

8. Yoruba Socio-cultural group, Afenifere has asked the FG to prevail on Ministers allegedly involved in corrupt practices to step down to allow for investigation.
Afenifere’s call was contained in a communique’ issued at the end of its monthly meeting in Akure, the Ondo State capital and was read by the Publicity Secretary of the organization, Mr. Yinka Odumakin.

9. The Senator Ali Modu Sheriff-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has warned the Ahmed Markafi-led faction to desist from issuing statement on behalf of the party, else it will take legal action against it. A statement issued by the acting National Publicity Secretary of Sheriff-led faction, Bernard Mikko, warned that a court order had declared Markafi committee illegal.

10. A former lecturer with the Kaduna State University, Dr. John Danfulani, has again been remanded in the Kaduna Prison for 12 days for the same case he won at the lower court over his criticizing of the administrative style of Malam Nasir El-Rufai in a Facebook post. During the hearing on Wednesday in the fresh case by the Kaduna State Ministry of Justice at the State High Court, before Justice Bilkisu Mohammed, he pleaded not guilty but was remanded in prison custody pending commencement of trial.

Tags: Dialypost