Nigerian Newspapers: 10 things you need to know Wednesday morning

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

1. The Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday approved the issuance of a N758 billion bond to clear pension arrears for retirees. The Debt Management Office (DMO) was mandated to raise the funds for the payment of the arrears under the Defined Benefit Scheme, which preceded the Contributory Pension Scheme introduced in 2004 and reviewed in 2014.

2. A 50-year-old man, Ado Haruna, who connived with bandits to kidnap his family members, in Zaria, Kaduna State, has been arrested. Operatives of the IGP Intelligence Response Team (IRT) arrested Haruna based on a tip-off, according to the Force Public Relations Officer, FPRO), ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi.

3. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declined assent to a bill for the establishment of Federal University of Education, Numan, Adamawa State. He conveyed the decision in a letter addressed to the Speaker, House of Representatives, Abbas Tajuddeen, read by his Deputy, Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the plenary on Tuesday.

4. Former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has attacked his successor, Governor Uba Sani, accusing him of sycophancy for aligning with President Bola Tinubu for personal political gain. El-Rufai’s criticism followed Sani’s remarks during a TVC News interview on Monday, where the governor condemned founding APC members for their growing disapproval of Tinubu’s administration.

5. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, arraigned 11 Chinese and a company, Genting International Co. Ltd., before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, over alleged cybercrimes, cyber-terrorism, possession of documents containing false pretence and identity theft, among others. The Ttial judge in the matter is Justice C. Aneke.

6. No fewer than 10 travellers have reportedly been abducted by gunmen on the Owo-Ipele-Benin highway in Ondo State. Sources in Akure, the Ondo State capital, said that the travellers were coming from a state in the South-South and heading towards Akure, when the gunmen struck.

7. Following the attack on the people of Amagu, Amaokwe and Umunesha villages in Nkalaha community in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State by suspected Fulani herdsmen, the death toll has risen to 15 while many people are still missing. The state deputy governor, Princess Patricia Obila, who visited the community, gave a 24-hour ultimatum to security agencies in the state to fish out the suspected killers,

8. The Federal Government has officially commenced toll operations on the Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi Road corridor as part of efforts to repay the $460.8m loan obtained from China Exim Bank for the rehabilitation and upgrade of the road. Motorists using the highway will now pay tolls ranging from N500 for saloon cars to N1,600 for multi-axle vehicles, while police and military vehicles are exempted to enhance their operations.

9. The Ogun State Police Command on Tuesday said it had launched a manhunt for the accomplices of the suspended Olorile of Orile-Ifo, Abdulsemiu Ogunjobi, who is facing trial for assaulting a 73-year-old chief, Areola Abraham. The police also disclosed that Ogunjobi was arraigned before a magistrate court sitting in the Ifo area of the state on three counts bordering on conspiracy, assault and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace.

10. President Bola Tinubu has approved N80 billion for the reconstruction and expansion of the Alau Dam in Borno. Prof. Joseph Utsev, the Minister of Water Resources, confirmed this during a briefing with State House correspondents following the second FEC meeting of the year on Tuesday.

Nigerian Newspapers: 10 things you need to know Wednesday morning