Good morning! Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers:
1. A prominent Islamic scholar, Dr Ahmad Abubakar Mahmud Gumi, at the weekend, declared that Nigeria will disintegrate and that the North will suffer most compared to the other regions. According to him, in the face of a possible break up, the Southwest will be relatively stable; Southeast will be stable, but the North will be volatile. Narrating what Nigeria will be like if disintegrated, the cleric said, “I see chaos and probably Nigeria can even disintegrate. And disintegration will be bad for Nigeria.”
2. Five children were burnt to death when their home caught fire in Abagbo Village, Takwa Bay Island, Lagos. A statement on Sunday by police spokesman, DSP Bala Elkana, gave the names as Folake Ogundiya, 13; her eight-year-old sibling, Abigail; six-year-old Daniel Bakare; Chidima Achomye, two-year-old Nnamdi Achomye and a-year-old Khadijat. It disclosed that the children were locked inside the house by one Suliat, in whose care their mother Florence Asoye left them.
3. The Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, on Sunday directed 36 out of the 44 local government district heads not to attend Daushe Durbar in Kano, traditionally led by Emir Muhammadu Sanusi. This followed an announcement from the Kano Emirate Council on local radio inviting all district heads to attend the grand Daushe Durbar, which usually holds a day after Sallah. Sanusi’s influence had been whittled down since the split of the Kano emirate.
4. South Africa, yesterday described as untrue, reckless and unwarranted, reports that Nigerians living in the country are being killed by her citizens as a result of xenophobia. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that South Africa also expressed concern over the call by the National Association of Nigerian Students for the expulsion of South Africans and protest at South Africa-owned businesses in Nigeria.
5. Human rights lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje at the weekend dragged the federal government before the Federal High Court over clampdown on ‘Revolution Now’ protesters who claimed to be demanding better governance in Nigeria. In a suit filed before Justice Chuka Obiozor of the Ikoyi Division of the Court, Ogungbeje, is praying the court “to order the police to release everyone in its detention.” He argued that protest is a guaranteed right of every Nigeria according to the constitution of the country. The lawyer joined the Department of State Services (DSS), Inspector-General of Police, and Attorney-General of the Federation in the ex parte suit on the violation of fundamental human rights.
6. Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) at the weekend threw its weight behind the call by Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka for a declaration of emergency in the Southwest, owing to the level of insecurity in the region. According to the elders, the forests in the region have been invaded and the people are in danger.
7. A former Head of State and leader of the Nigeria Prays Movement, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd) on Sunday called for caution as Nigerians continue to grapple with security challenges across the country. He also called for attitudinal change among Nigerians, saying peace and harmony would only be achieved in a refined society. Gowon expressed regret that after the civil war, Nigeria was still battling with serial security challenges ranging from Boko Haram; kidnapping; banditry and lots more.
8. The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB on Sunday disagreed with the Nigeria Army over the identity of its officer who killed a commercial motorcyclist, Chimaobi Nworgu in Abia State last week. A statement by Col Aliyu Yusuf, Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, titled, ‘Updated Report on the Shooting incident that led to the death of Mr Chimaobi Nwaogwu at Umuokereke Ngwa Community of Abia state’ had given the name of the officer as Lance-Corporal Ajayi Johnson. Yusuf said in a press statement, “Further investigation on the incident revealed that Lance Corporal Ajayi Johnson one of the soldiers deployed at Forward Operations Base, Ohanze for security duty shot and killed the Okada rider, Mr Chimaobi on Wednesday 7 August 2019.” But IPOB in a press release signed by its media and publicity secretary, Mr Emma Powerful and made available to DAILY POST said the named officer was not responsible for the death of Nworgu, but merely dropped by the army to protect the identity of the perpetrator. 9. The Lagos State Chapter of the African Alliance Congress (AAC) said on Sunday that it would not recognise Mr Leonard Nzenwa as the national chairman of the party. The Publicity Secretary of the party in the state, Mr Elias Ozikpu, expressed the position in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos. He was reacting to the reported sacking of Mr. Omoyele Sowore as National Chairman by a convention of the party on Aug. 9 in Owerri and the subsequent naming of Nzenwa as the new chairman.
10. South Africa on Sunday expressed concern over the call by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) for the expulsion of South Africans and protest at South African owned businesses in Nigeria. The country made its feelings known in a statement issued by Ms Anna-Maria Jojozi, Counsellor in-charge of Political Affairs at the South African High Commission in Abuja on Sunday. Jojozi quoted Dr Naledi Pandor (MP), Minister, International Relations and Cooperation, to have expressed the feeling at the South African Development Community (SADC) meeting held in South Africa on Sunday. She said that the meeting sought to discuss President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa official visit to President John Magufuli of Tanzania, for the SADC Summit, from Wednesday to Thursday.
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