Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Editor roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Friday, 5th January 2024.
1. Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday stormed the headquarters of Dangote Industries Limited in Ikoyi, Lagos, in furtherance of the ongoing investigation into the alleged abuse of the foreign exchange allocations by the immediate past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.
2. The number of federally-owned universities in Nigeria may hit 99 in the coming months as a bill to establish 47 new ones has scaled through the second reading. This is just as about 56 bills have passed for the second reading to establish Federal Medical Centres in different parts of the country.
3. Members of the Orilowo Perishable Food Market Association, on Thursday, protested at the Lagos State House of Assembly over the delay in approving the location of the market. The protesters demanded immediate approval for the Orilowo Perishable Food Market to be located at Plot 705 Adekunle Bus Stop, Ikorodu Road, Agboyi-Ketu Local Council Development Area.
4. The Secretary General of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, Chief Sole Ebiseni, has declared his intention to contest the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo State. Ebiseni, who defected to the Peoples Democratic Party recently, said this year’s governorship election was going to be a defining moment for the state.
5. Former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, must appear at the Abuja headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for interrogation, the agency has said. The minister, who cited health challenges, approached the anti-graft agency through her counsel, requesting that the deadline be extended by three weeks.
6. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointments of six new executive directors for two agencies under the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy- the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA. Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale announced the appointments on Thursday.
7. President Bola Tinubu has approved the extension of the Yuletide free train service till January 7. The extension, the Federal Government said, would enable more Nigerians to return to their stations and enjoy the benefit.
8. Plateau State Governor, Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang has urged the Supreme Court to uphold his election. He said of eight issues distilled before the Court of Appeal, only one was determined and others were untouched. Mutfwang, who made the submission in his brief at the Supreme Court by an eight-man team of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, said: “The law is settled that wherever there is a wrong, there must be a remedy.”
9. The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, in Benin Republic says there are 15,000 Nigerians studying in the country. It called for leniency over the ban on validation of degree certificates from the country and Togo.
10. Kwara State Police Command has arrested two suspects identified as Abdullateef Yakubu and Yakubu Olanrewaju of Shao Garage area, Ilorin, for allegedly slitting the throat of a neighbour over a disagreement. It was learnt that the incident occurred around past 12:00 am on Monday at Shao Garage area, Ilorin, in Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State.
