Good morning! Merry Christmas: Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers
1. President Muhammadu Buhari, in his Christmas message to Nigerians called on all, especially Christians, to offer prayers to God to enable the country overcome its current political and economic challenges. He also enjoined Nigerians to be tolerant of one another in order to ensure peace among them. He urged Nigerians to pray for the troops fighting Boko Haram insurgency as well as the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, in the North-East.
2. Relatively, President Muhammadu Buhari has commended the determination, courage and resilience of troops of Operation Lafiya Dole for penetrating and crushing the remnants of the Boko Haram insurgents at “Camp Zero”, which is located deep inside the Sambisa Forest. The President urged troops to maintain the tempo by pursuing the insurgents and bringing them to justice.
3. The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Saturday asked the Federal Government to set up a panel of enquiry to investigate the alleged killing of pro-Biafra activists in Onitsha and Aba earlier this year. The group also called on the government to announce date for a referendum where Ndigbo would be allowed to decide their own fate. These were contained in a statement jointly signed by IPOB spokespersons, Barrister Emma Nmezu and Dr. Clifford Chukwuemeka Iroanya.
4. Reports have claimed that the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, who was given 24 hours to respond to the allegation levelled against him complied with the directive and had replied the query he got on Monday from the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami. It has been further revealed that report of the investigation over his indictment would be made available to the President this week.
5. The Southern Kaduna Peoples Union, SOKAPU, National Youth Wing has said that for governor Nasir El-Rufai to have imposed curfew in three local government areas of the state even on Christmas Day shows that he is bias against Christians. The group maintained that peaceful demonstrators guided by security agents who were protesting against the unabated killings of Southern Kaduna villagers were stoned at the Emir of Jema’a palace junction which later resulted to violence.
6. Report says the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is now in search of one Esther Oba, an alleged accomplice of Dame Patience Jonathan. Report says if the commission failed to find her before the end of January, she would be declared wanted.
7. In an effort to ensure security of lives and property this yuletide and New Year, the Federal Government has deployed more troops to Kaduna State and its environs. This follows the decision of the state government relax the 24-hour-curfew imposed in the three Local Government Areas of Jema’a, Kaura and Zangon Kataf.
8. The Nigerian Army has raised the alarm over the fleeing of Boko Haram insurgents from the Sambisa Forest, Borno State, to other parts of the country.m The army in a statement, urged the Nigerian public to watch out for suspicious movements and appearances during and after the Yuletide season. The acting Director of Public Relations, Nigerian Army, Brig. Gen. Sani Usman, said the troops in the region, particularly the men of the Lafiya Dole operation, were working hard to bring down fleeing insurgents.
9. A 23-years-old man, Kamal Bala Yunusa, has been arrested by the Katsina State Police Command in connection with alleged kidnap of his three-year-old nephew. The command disclosed that the child was rescued from a hotel in Katsina, where the victim had been drugged with a cough mixture. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Salisu Agaisa, told journalists during a parade of Kamal and another suspect, Muhammed Abubakar Sadiq, on Friday evening, that both suspects, along with two others conspired to kidnap the child for a ransom of N4m from Tundun Wada area of Kaduna State.
10. There has been war of words between the President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, and his United Labour Congress of Nigeria, ULC, counterpart, Mr. Joe Ajaero, over the latter’s decision to create a new union. While Wabba said the action of Ajaero and d his supporters resulted from their personal greed, Ajaero said the ULC was beyond him and Achese, as it clearly brought together men and women determined to create a platform that would offer Nigerians and workers a renewed hope in terms of the labour movement.
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