Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Editor roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Saturday, 3rd February 2024.
1. The Federal Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, are working on fresh initiatives to rescue the naira, according to hints on Friday. The Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, on Friday met with the CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman, Ola Olukoyede to strategise on stabilising the beleaguered currency.
2. Voters in 26 states of the federation will go to the polls today to fill vacancies in the National and State Assemblies. The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the security agencies had assured Nigerians of smooth elections across the affected states.
3. An expectant mother, Esther Godday, has been arrested by the Rivers State Police Command for allegedly stabbing one Mrs. Imeran Idema to death. Godday, a mother of nine children, allegedly killed Idema for trying to stop her from fleeing with a bunch of plantains she stole from a plantation. It was gathered that Godday committed the alleged offence on January 28, at Agada village in Abua, Rivers State.
4. Nigeria secured their place in the semi-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire on Friday after defeating Angola 1-0 in Abidjan. A first-half goal scored by Ademola Lookman sealed victory for the Super Eagles to grab their place in the last four.
5. Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has reappointed four out of the commissioners sacked from the State Executive Council (SEC) a fortnight ago. The four nominees were part of the names listed as commissioner-nominees forwarded to the House of Assembly for screening and confirmation.
6. Scores of women, including widows, took to the streets of Kano to protest the increase in the price of flour in the state. The protesters, who sell local bread also known as ‘gurasa,’ while marching on the streets with placards on Friday, lamented that the soaring price had crippled their source of livelihood.
7. The police in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, have arrested three persons for allegedly defrauding four residents of food grains worth over N81m. The suspects, arrested for criminal conspiracy, cheating, and criminal breach of trust were identified as 44-year-old Hajiya Zainab Ahmed of Anguwan Sanusi, Kaduna; Sunday Ezra Haruna, 35; and Ishaku Abdulsalam, 40, of Hotoro Ward in Kano.
8. A bride, and at least 30 women accompanying the bride to her new home were abducted by gunmen along Gamji Road in Dandume Local Government Area of Katsina State on Thursday night. The women, with the bride, were travelling in a truck to Ungwan Murjiya village between 8:30 and 9:00 pm when they were ambushed by the assailants.
9. Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has launched a security outfit, Community Protection Guards, CPG, to fight the insecurity challenges in the state. Governor Dauda Lawal said his administration embarked on the arduous task with a commitment to carry out gradual reforms across all sectors of the state’s economy.
10. Gunmen, who kidnapped five pupils and four staff members of the Apostolic Faith Group of Schools, Emure Ekiti, Ekiti State on Friday insisted on getting N15m as ransom to secure the abductees’ release from their den. They threatened to kill the hostages if their families delayed paying the ransom for their release.
