Good morning! Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers:
1. Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar on Monday threatened to sue a leader of the Northern Elders Forum, Paul Unongo, for accusing him of being the chief financier of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN). Atiku, in a letter by his lawyer, Mahmud Magaji (SAN), warned Unongo to retract the ‘falsehood’ within seven days. He also asked Unongo to publish the retraction in all national newspapers and within 30 days pay him N200bn as damages.
2. A Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Mi-17 Helicopter crashed on Monday while undertaking a mission in the ongoing counterinsurgency operation in the North East. The Air Force said the incident resulted in significant damage to the helicopter. A statement by NAF spokesman, Olatokunbo Adesanya, said there was no loss of lives.
3. Iyorwuese Hagher, a former Nigerian High Commissioner to Canada, has blamed President Muhammadu Buhari for the alleged “genocide” in the North Central, especially Benue State. He said Buhari allowed the situation to reached its current level because his government had acted irresponsibly. The former envoy stated that the president has betrayed his campaign promises to Nigerians that his government ‘‘will always act in time and not allow problems to irresponsibly fester.
4. Relatively, the federal government has confirmed that it will establish cattle colonies in states across the country, to curb increasing cases of clashes between farmers and herdsmen. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh, said this on Monday at a strategy retreat for civil servants and political appointees of the ministry in Abuja.
5. The nation’s external reserves have hit a new level of $40.4bn. In a statement on Monday, the Central bank stated that the external reserves reached $40.4bn on Friday, January 5, 2018. This indicated an increase of about $1bn between December 2017 and January 2018.
6. The Federal Government has appointed a former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Peter Okebukola, and former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, among members of a committee set up to review the university system in Nigeria. The NUC also stated that it has not rated tertiary institutions in the country for many years, saying that a recent rating allegedly by the commission was fake.
7. President Muhammadu Buhari and vice president Yemi Osinbajo are expected to arrive Umuahia, the Abia state capital on Tuesday, for the mega rally of the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress. The rally will take place in the Umuahia Township stadium on School Road. APC national chairman, Chief John Oyegun, the chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Rochas Okorocha and other APC chieftains from the South East and across the country are expected to be in attendance.
8. A protest march by members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) on Monday turned violent after the protesters were teargassed when they tried to force their way into the National Assembly complex in Abuja. The Shiite members were demanding the release of their leader, Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, who has been in detention since 2015. Reports says a Police reinforcement, supported by the Civil Defence, later fired tear gas at the protesters and chased fleeing demonstrators into the neighbouring federal secretariat as they struggled for air.
9. Two of the suspected robbery gang that raided the Festac home of Nollywood star, John Okafor, popularly known as Mr. Ibu, weekend, have been arrested. The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent Chike Oti, confirmed the arrest, saying the suspects had been transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery, SARS, for further investigation.
10. President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to immediately relocate to Benue State, following ongoing tension in the state over the renewed killings of residents by suspected herdsmen. The president mandated the police boss to immediately restore law and order, prevent further loss of lives and ensure the crisis does not escalate and spread in the state.
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