Good morning Nigeria, welcome to the Editor roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Friday, 8th September 2023.
1. The Western Marine Command of the Nigeria Customs Service says it had intercepted 103 sacks containing 8,240 loaves of cannabis sativa and 23, 000 capsules of Tramadol 100 mg each along Ibeju-Lekki waterways. This was disclosed in a statement on Thursday by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Mailafiya Magaji.
2. At least 30 persons have lost their lives in a landslide reportedly triggered by activities of illegal miners in the Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. This was disclosed on Thursday during a meeting between FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and six Area Council Chairmen.
3. President Bola Tinubu says he stood out academically when he was a student. The President, who is currently in India for the G-20 Summit, said this during an interaction with Nigerians on Thursday evening. According to a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President, Media and Publicity, the meeting was attended by several Nigerian students studying in India.
4. Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, on Thursday, appealed to Nigerians to continue to pray for the current administration, particularly those at the helm of the nation’s security. He said with the complex nature of security challenges and other aspects of national development, “one could only but ask for prayers to succeed.”
5. A man identified simply as John has lost his life after his friend, Akinola Adeleye, allegedly stabbed him to death over an argument on who to pay for a plate of food. The incident happened in the Ifako Ijaiye Local Government Area of Lagos State. The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident.
6. A former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, says the “war is not over”. Speaking at a press conference organised by the party on Thursday, Atiku said he has asked his lawyers to proceed to the Supreme Court.
7. Osita Okechukwu, Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), says although the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP had bright chances of bouncing back through the 2023 presidential election, the political greed of the party’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar, denied the party victory. Okechukwu said this when he spoke with journalists in Abuja on Thursday.
8. The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the last general elections, Peter Obi, on Thursday rejected the judgement of the Presidential Election Petition Court. Speaking in a press briefing in Onitsha, Anambra State, Obi disagreed with the judgement, insisting that he would exhaust every legal process available to him.
9. The Osun State Government has ordered the closure of The Osun State Polytechnic, Iree Campus, for two weeks. The directive for the closure is coming following the return of suspended Rector, Tajudeen Odetayo. The order for closure was issued by the State government in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Education, Dipo Eluwole on Thursday.
10. Troops of Operation Haderin Daji have rescued six kidnapped victims and recovered 11 operational motorcycles from the ravaging bandits operating in Zamfara State.
