Nigerian Newspapers: 10 things you need to know Friday morning

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

1. Authorities of the Nigerian Army, on Thursday, ordered immediate investigations into the killing of some villagers allegedly by some soldiers in Sabon Birni, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

2. Three interim local government chairmen have been taken into custody of the Kano Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) over an alleged N660 million water contract scam. Musa Garba Kwankwaso was also taken into custody but released on bail around 9pm, on Thursday.

3. Residents of Nepa community in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State have caught a suspected kidnapper who collected N1.5 million ransom from the relatives of his victims in Jos, Plateau State capital. The suspect, after being caught by the residents, was immediately handed over to the vigilantes in the area.

4. The National Hospital Abuja will soon set up a VIP section that will cater for presidents, top government officials and other respected personalities within and from outside the country. The chief medical director of the hospital, Prof. Mahmud Raji made the disclosure on Thursday.

5. The Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman has said the Federal Government will meet with the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Monday to address the demands of the university teachers. The Minister said this on Thursday when he appeared on Beyond 100 days programme aired on Television Continental (TVC) on Thursday.

6. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, the 22nd Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), has officially retired from service upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70. While delivering his valedictory speech at the Supreme Court complex in Abuja, Ariwoola disclosed that to suit the times and address current challenges, he signed off on the new Supreme Court Rules 2024 earlier this month.

7. A Lagos State Magistrate Court in Ogba has discharged six men who were arrested during the 2000 #EndSARS protests and have spent almost four years in prison. The defendants, identified as Daniel Joyinbo, Adigun Sodiq, Kehinde Shola, Salaudeen Kamilu, Sodiq Usseni, and Azeez Isiaka, were set free by Magistrate Bolanle Osunsanmi on Thursday, after being cautioned.

8. The Federal Government through the Rural Electrification Agency has installed power plants in six federal universities as part of efforts to provide reliable power to critical sectors of the society. This was as the agency stated that it had made significant strides in advancing Nigeria’s electrification projects.

9. There were palpable fears across the Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State on Thursday as youths of the Gatawa community protested the gruesome killing of their traditional ruler, Isa Muhammad Bawa, by suspected bandits. The district head was killed on Wednesday, before the ransom could reach the bandits.

10. The Federal Government has insisted that it would continue construction of the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway despite ongoing court cases filed by aggrieved persons against the project. The Minister of Works, David Umahi, stated this at a press briefing on Thursday in Abuja while addressing serious concerns about the project’s procurement process that led to court proceedings by land owners.