Nigerian Newspapers: 10 things you need to know this Thursday morning

Good morning! Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers:

1. The Chief of Army Staff, Major General Taoreed Lagbaja has dismissed amnesty pleas for bandits and terrorists. Lagbaja said the amnesty programme has failed to achieve its purpose in the past, adding that it gives criminals an opportunity to regroup and attack defenceless citizens. The COAS said this in Abuja when he received Zamfara Governor, Dauda Lawal on a courtesy visit.

2. The Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress have thumbed down the N500bn palliative proposed by President Bola Tinubu, stating that it is grossly inadequate to assuage the hardships confronting workers sequel to the fuel subsidy removal. They are demanding a 300 per cent salary increase to enable workers to cope with the challenges imposed by the deteriorating economic situation that came with the removal of the controversial fuel subsidy.

3. The scheduled arraignment of the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa-Ari, failed on Wednesday, as he didn’t appear before an Adamawa State High Court in Yola where he was billed to be arraigned. The prosecuting counsel for INEC, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), expressed disappointment over the failure of the REC to appear before Justice Benjamin Lawan.

4. Nigeria has redeemed a $500 million Eurobond taken by the administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan in 2013.
The Debt Management Office (DMO), which disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja, on Wednesday, said the Eurobond was paid on July 12, 2023, its due date.

Advertisement

5. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu says he understands the hardship brought about by the removal of fuel subsidy, assuring that the decision was in the best interest of the country, especially in guaranteeing future prosperity. Tinubu, who received 18 governors who served with him, Class of 1999, at the Presidential Villa, appealed for more patience from Nigerians.

6. The Federal High Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), yesterday, dismissed a suit filed by an aspirant in the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries in Kogi State, Senator Smart Adeyemi, against the emergence of the candidate of the party, Usman Ododo, saying it lacks merit.

7. Former Governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom, says former Vice President and Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2023 general election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is angry with him because of his membership of the G-5 Integrity Group, his insistence on a southern president and the enactment of the grazing law in Benue state, among others.

8. The Imo State Police Command on Wednesday paraded 53 suspects on various crimes in Imo state, at the command’s headquarters in Owerri. The State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Henry Okoye, stated that the suspects were arrested following an operational strategy the command introduced.

9. Veteran Nollywood star, Cynthia Okereke is dead. Announcing the unfortunate incident on Wednesday in an Instagram post, popular actor and filmmaker, Joseph Okechukwu stated that Okereke died on Tuesday evening.

10. The Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja has ordered troops to seize control of areas where the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, enforce their sit-at-home order throughout the South-East states. The order came after a Finland-based pro-Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, announced that there would be a two-week sit-at-home in the South-East region from July 31.