Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Editor roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Wednesday, 27th March 2024.
1. President Bola Tinubu has condemned the rate of kidnapping across the country, declaring that people involved must be treated as terrorists.Tinubu made this remark on Tuesday at a Ramadan dinner with members of the Federal judiciary, led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola.
2. The Nigerian Army says soldiers killed in the Okuama community in Delta State are to be buried on Wednesday, at the National Cemetery, Abuja. This was disclosed in a statement posted on the Nigerian Army’s X handle on Tuesday, adding that the burial will be held by 3pm.
3. Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has broken his silence after an invitation by the Department of State Services over his comments on the activities of bandits in the country. Gumi, in a media post titled, ‘Only one person is above the law: The Innocent!’, said the invitation was necessary, and he had a productive interaction with the security agents who queried him.
4. The Central Bank of Nigeria has raised the monetary policy rate, known as the interest rate, by 200 basis points to 24.75 per cent as part of efforts to tackle rising inflation.The CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, disclosed this on Tuesday at the 294th Meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee press briefing in Abuja.
5. Edo State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Tony Aziegbemi on Tuesday regained freedom from his abductors after 11 days. DAILY POST reports that the PDP chairman was abducted by armed men on Friday, March 15, 2024 at 11 pm at the entrance to his house after a meeting with the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki.
6. A former Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu has urged the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government to promise bandits a promising future by negotiating with them. Featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, the former minister said non-kinetic approach in dealing with banditry would bring about a lot of results.
7. About 48 cultists in Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun State have renounced their membership of various cult groups. The repentant cultists renounced their membership of the unlawful groups at the palace of the Akarigbo and Paramount ruler of Remo land, Oba Babatunde Ajayi, on Tuesday.
8. At least 100,000 Nigerians displaced to Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, by terrorism in the Northeast, were returned to their homes in the past seven years. Borno State Governor, Prof Babagana Zulum, disclosed this to State House correspondents after a closed-door talks with President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday
9. Multichoice, organisers of the Big Brother Naija show, has announced auditions for its ninth season. BBNaija, in a statement on its official X page, announced that the application for audition, which is slated to commence on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at 8:00 pm, comes with a new format.
10. The Eagles of Mali defeated Nigeria’s Super Eagles 2-0 in a friendly match in Marrakech, Morocco on Tuesday night. A first half goal from El Bilal Toure and a late second half goal from Kamory Doumbia gave Mali the victory over Nigeria at the Grand Stade de Marrakech.
