Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Editor roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Friday, 9th February 2024.
1. The organised Labour on Thursday threatened to declare a nationwide strike in the next 14 days over the alleged failure of the federal government to implement the memorandum of understanding reached with the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress in October 2023.
2. The House of Representatives will join the battle against the food crisis through strategic laws, Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas said on Thursday. Speaking at a news conference attended by the Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu and other principal officers, Abbas called for patience and assured that the lawmakers would stand by Nigerians.
3. President Bola Tinubu has directed the immediate release of over 100,000 metric tons of assorted food items from the strategic reserve and the Rice Millers Association of Nigeria as a short term response to rising food shortage in the country. Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this to journalists at the State House after a meeting of the Special Presidential Committee on Emergency Food Intervention on Thursday.
4. No fewer than 172 kidnap cases were recorded across the country in the past seven months. Inspector–General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun gave the figure yesterday just as the Defence Headquarters, DHQ, said troops rescued 116 kidnapped persons in various parts of the country last month.
5. House of Representatives Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas on Thursday swore in 12 of the 15 members-elect who were presented their certificates of return by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Wednesday. The 12 new members won last Saturday’s by-elections and court-ordered rerun polls to fill vacant seats in the Green Chamber.
6. Troops from 93 Battalion under 6 Brigade of the Nigerian Army have arrested a suspected female kidnapper while trying to pick ransom on an abducted victim in Taraba. They also apprehended a notorious gunrunner dealing in arms and ammunition and supplying them to criminals within Taraba State and other parts of the country.
7. The World Bank has pledged to step up financial support for Nigeria in priority needs of the economy. The World Bank Managing Director of Operations, Anna Bjerde, disclosed this to journalists on Thursday after a visit to President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
8. The naira yesterday depreciated to N1,500 per dollar in the parallel market from N1,465 per dollar on Tuesday. Similarly, the naira depreciated to N1,479.47 per dollar in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market, NAFEM.
9. No fewer than 31 suspects have been arrested by Gombe State Police Command during its crackdown on criminal hideouts. Disclosing this on Thursday, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mahid Abubakar, said the Gombe Divisional Police headquarters, through its Patrol 999 team, conducted a raid on black spots within the community where they were arrested.
10. The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on Thursday, commended SP Rilwan Kasumu and his team in Area K, Marogbo of the Lagos State Police Command for rejecting a N4m bribe offered to them while investigating a case of alleged drug peddling and unlawful possession of ammunition against a suspected drug peddler.
