Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Editor roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Wednesday, 3rd January 2024.
1. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and fuel marketers under the aegis of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, on Tuesday, clashed again over the removal of subsidy on petrol. The marketers said that the subsidy on petrol was increasing considering the crash of the naira against the dollar and the cost of crude oil, stressing that fuel should sell for N1,200/litre in a free market.
2. Governors in the six North-Central states on Tuesday lamented the attacks and killings in Plateau State by gunmen, calling on the Federal Government to do everything possible to get to its roots and find a permanent solution. The Chairman of the North Central Governors Forum and Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, said the Plateau killings should not be tagged herder-farmer clashes. Rather, he said what is happening in Plateau is similar to what happened in Rwanda.
3. The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has said efforts are ongoing to secure the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mr Nnamdi Kanu. A statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu on Tuesday, quoted Kalu as advising South-East youths to stop forthwith the sit-at-home directive of IPOB, noting that it was scaring many investors away from the region.
4. The Federal Government has banned 18 foreign universities operating in Nigeria, describing them as “degree mills,’’ warning Nigerians to avoid enrolling in such institutions. The directive affected five universities from the United States, six from the United Kingdom, and three Ghanaian tertiary institutions.
5. Suspected Boko Haram terrorists in military uniform have killed 12 persons and abducted one in Gatamarwa and Tsiha communities in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State. The Police Public Relations Officer, Borno State command, Nahum Daso Kenneth, who confirmed the attack, said 12 corpses were recovered.
6. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested and detained the National Co-ordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency, Halima Shehu, over the ongoing probe into the N37,170,855,753.44 allegedly laundered in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, under former Minister, Sadiya Umar-Farouk.
7. The chairman of Akwanga Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Hon Safiyanu Isa Andaha and his political godfather Adamu Umar Custom who were kidnapped on New Year day have regained their freedom. It was gathered reliably that the sum of N10m was paid to the kidnappers after the initial demand of N50m which was negotiated before they were released.
8. Akindele Egbuwalo, the National N-POWER Program Manager has been appointed as the acting Chief Executive Officer, CEO and National Coordinator of the National Social Investment Programme Agency, NSIPA. The Nation reports that President Tinubu suspended Halima Shehu as NSIPA national coordinator on Tuesday, January 2, over allegations of corruption and financial malfeasance during her tenure.
9. Interior Minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has berated officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, for always asking people, especially married women, to go to its headquarters in Abuja to change their names on their passports. The minister, who described the act as “stupid”, spoke at a dinner with members of the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, ABAT Media Centre and some social media influencers in Abuja.
10. The naira on Tuesday depreciated to N1,250 per dollar in the parallel market from N1, 240 per dollar last weekend. Similarly, the naira yesterday depreciated to N988.46 per dollar in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM).
