Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Editor roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Saturday, 2nd March 2024.
1. Over 70 million bank customers are at risk of losing access to their accounts when the Central Bank of Nigeria’s directive on restricting accounts without Bank Verification Numbers and National Identification Numbers goes into effect. The CBN had on December 1, 2023, in a circular directed that a ‘Post no Debit’ restriction be placed on all bank accounts without the BVN and NIN from Friday, March 1, 2024.
2. The Central Bank of Nigeria on Friday revoked the licences of 4,173 Bureau De Change operators over their failure to meet regulatory guidelines. The apex bank disclosed this in a statement by its acting Director, Corporate Communications, Sidi Hakama. This means there will now be 1,517 operational BDCs from the initial 5,690.
3. Troops of the Nigerian Army, in collaboration with a hybrid force and the civilian joint task force, have killed three suspected terrorists during a raid on their hideouts in the Timbuktu triangle in the Lake Chad Region. The operation was also said to have led to the recovery of a machine gun, a mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle, a gun truck mounted with an anti-aircraft gun, and a cache of arms and ammunition.
4. The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has said that it will open the nomination portal for the off-cycle governorship election in Edo State on Monday, March 4, 2024. In a statement signed by the National Commissioner in Charge of Information and Voter Education, Sam Olumekun, the Commission asked political parties to collect the access code from the Commission headquarters to upload the names of their candidates.
5. Dr. Olu Agunloye, former Minister of Power and Steel under ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, has filed a N1 billion suit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for publishing his name on its website’s wanted list. Agunloye, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/167/2024 and filed by his team of lawyers led by Mr Adeola Adedipe, SAN, also joined the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) as 2nd defendant.
6. Hundreds of inmates at the Jos Correctional Centre, Plateau State, yesterday, staged a violent protest over alleged plans by the facility’s authority to reduce the amount of rice and beans they consume as a result of the rise in the price of essential commodities.
7. A BUA truck conveying cartons of spaghetti has been attacked by hoodlums at Dogarawa axis of Zaria-Kano expressway. An eyewitness disclosed that the Friday incident occurred around 3.15 pm after the driver of the truck parked by the road side to observe prayer..He said immediately after the driver parked, the hoodlums started carting away cartons of spaghetti.
8. At least three persons have been killed in multiple attacks by suspected Islamic State of West Africa Province fighters, ISWAP, in Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State, sources said. It was gathered that two vigilante members lost their lives to landmines during clearance operation by troops around the western part of Damboa on Thursday.
9. Quadri Tolani Oyebamiji, a popular Nigerian actor known widely as Sisi Quadri, bid the world goodbye on Friday at the age of 44. His death was confirmed by his colleague, Tunde Olayusuf, who shared Sisi Quadri’s picture on a social media platform.
10. The Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, Lagos, has arrested a couple, a former soldier and a printer, for allegedly producing fake currencies. The police paraded the suspects, including the couple, aged 50 and 46, at the command’s headquarters on Friday in Lagos.
