Good morning! Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers
1. In order to ensure that the war against insurgency is effectively fought and won, the military has now commenced the construction of accessible road into the Sambisa Forest; a zone generally known as the hideout and operational headquarters of the Boko Haram insurgents. Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen Lucky Irabor, explained that the road will make it easier for soldiers to effectively tackle Boko Haram fighters.
2. Nigeria Customs Service has assured Nigerians that it will uncover the person(s) behind the importation of the deadly plastic rice. Jerry Attah, Public Relations Officer of the Federal Operations Unit, Ikeja, said that investigation was ongoing. Attah, while reacting to the recent interception of 102 bags of plastic rice, said Customs was yet to ascertain how the items got into the country.
3. The Ministry of Finance Whistleblowing Programme was yesterday approved by the Federal Executive Council. The program will ensure that individuals who voluntarily volunteers credible information on stolen or concealed funds, is rewarded with between 2.5 per cent and five per cent of a recovered loot. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun; and the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, briefed State House correspondents at the end of the meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.
4. A British High Court, the Royal Court of Justice, Queen’s Bench Division, Court 1, sitting in London, Wednesday, ordered the immediate release of former Delta State governor, Chief James Ibori, from prison, arguing that the move to hold him after he had served out his sentence was illegal. His media aide, Tony Eluemunor, however announced his release on Wednesday afternoon. He said Ibori was released a few minutes past noon upon a court order.
5. The Nigerian Army has dismissed media reports that it has captured Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau. The denial followed unconfirmed reports that Shekau had been captured by some local hunters. But the Army said until it receives the Boko Haram leader from his reported captors, it cannot confirm his capture. Operation Lafiya Dole commander, Lucky Irabor, said this while speaking at a press conference in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.
6. Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has alleged that those who murdered DSP Mohammed Alkali were earlier arrested during the rerun elections and were later released by superior powers before they killed the police officer and his orderly at Uju community in Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Area of the state. The governor made the disclosure, yesterday, at the Government House, Port Harcourt. He alleged further that a politician in military uniform was allegedly arrested with AK47 rifle on the day of the rerun elections but was released as directed from ‘above’.
7. The Federal Government on Wednesday blamed the delay in payment of salaries of some of its workers on the management of some government agencies, who spent their annual salary allocation two months before the end of the year. The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, stated this while addressing State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, explaining that the payroll system shut itself down automatically immediately the affected agencies got to their salary limit for the year. She assured that the agency would soon be paid as the Senate had already sent in the virement advice the ministry sought to address the matter.
8. The Federal Government has declared Monday, December 26 and Tuesday, December 27, 2016 as well as Monday, January 2, 2017, as public holidays to mark the Christmas, Boxing Day and 2017 New Year celebrations respectively. The Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd.), made the announcement on behalf of the Federal Government on Wednesday in Abuja.
9. A 24-hour curfew was, Wednesday, imposed on Zangon-Kataf, Kaura and Jema’a Local Government areas of Kaduna State. This followed an attack on Governor Nasir el-Rufai entourage in Kafanchan, Jema’a Local Government Area by some protesters after he chaired Kaduna State Security Council meeting in the area. The State Executive Council said it imposed the curfew based on intelligence report about risks to lives and property in the affected areas.
10. Suspected kidnappers have abducted Orhifi Orovwagbarha Agbarha-Ide Ememoh II, the Ovie (traditional ruler) of Agbarha-Warri Kingdom, in the Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State. Report says the Urhobo monarch was abducted on Wednesday along the Ughelli/Asaba Expressway near Ossissa community in the Ndokwa-East Local Government Area of the state while he was on his way to a meeting in Asaba, the state capital.
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