Good morning Nigeria, welcome to the Editor roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Thursday, 7th December 2023.
1. The National Judicial Council has picked 11 Justices that will fill the vacant positions at the Supreme Court. The constitution prescribes 21 Justices for the apex court but the court currently has 10 Justices following the retirement of Justice Musa Dattijo in October. The NJC uploaded the names of the successful candidates on its website on Wednesday.
2. Protesters stormed the National Assembly on Wednesday to express sadness over the accidental bombing of Tudun Biri in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Sunday night by the Nigerian Army. It was also gathered that the death toll from the incident had climbed to 127, as Amnesty International threatened to take legal action against the Federal Government.
3. The House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise says the Nigeria Customs Service generates most of its revenue from the South-West. The chairman of the committee, Leke Abejide said this on Wednesday at the inauguration of the committee members in Abuja.
4. The Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Bertrand Onuoha, has ordered a thorough investigation into the alleged attack on the Secretary of the state Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, David Mike. The secretary was allegedly attacked on his way to the office to paste copies of the petition said to have been filed on December 2, 2023.
5. Bauchi State Police Command has disclosed that the slain 500-level student at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) was stabbed while trying to retrieve his girlfriend’s handbag from some assailants. The police in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, SP Ahmed Wakil made this known on Wednesday.
6. The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa has said terrorism is yet to end despite huge budgetary allocations because the military did not have enough equipment to fight the terrorists. He also noted that civilians conniving with terrorists and supporting them with supplies have been frustrating the military’s efforts to end the war.
7. The prosecution announced the closure of its case on Wednesday in the trial of a former governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, and the finance commissioner during his tenure, Omadachi Oklobia before a Federal High Court in Abuja. Suswam and Oklobia are being tried by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in an 11-count amended charge of diverting N3.1bn belonging to Benue state.
8. The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has said the party has a blueprint for the political development of the Southeast. He also said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had approved the document for the Southeast and its integration into the nation’s mainstream politics.
9. Igbo Leadership in the United Kingdom and Ireland has called on the Federal Government and Governor Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State to be fair and considerate in dealing with Igbo residents in the state. Eze Okwuchukwu Nwosu, Eze Isiobi Ndigbo 1 UK and Ireland, in an open letter lamented that the Igbo were not treated fairly in Nigeria, claiming that since Nigeria’s amalgamation in 1914, the Igbo nation had been at the receiving end.
10. The naira yesterday depreciated to N951.22 per dollar in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM). Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative exchange rate for NAFEM rose to N951.22 per dollar from N806.73 per dollar on Tuesday, indicating 18 percent or N144.49 depreciation for the naira.
