Nigerian Newspapers: 10 things you need to know Thursday morning

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

1. The Federal Government, on Wednesday, declared that prices of food items would crash in the next 180 days (January 2025). The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, said the measures, which include the suspension of duties, tariffs, and taxes for the importation of certain food commodities through land and sea borders, would bring down prices.

2. The Nigeria Labour Congress has said it would press for N250,000 minimum wage during a planned meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, on Thursday (today). The Head of Public Affairs of the NLC, Benson Upah said Labour would insist on its N250,000 proposal during the session with the President.

3. A former acting Accountant-General of the Federation, Anamekwe Nwabuoku, on Wednesday, pleaded with Justice James Omotoso of the Federal High Court in Abuja to give him more time to conclude the refund of the public funds allegedly looted by him and his co-defendant. Nwabuoku and his co-defendant, Felix Nweke, are facing 11 counts of money laundering to the tune of N1.6bn.

4. The Lagos Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court sitting in Ikeja has sentenced a 34-year-old businessman, Oluwafemi Asekeji, to life imprisonment for sexually assaulting his 12-year-old daughter. This was disclosed in a statement by the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, obtained by our correspondent on Wednesday.

5. A woman identified as Precious Yusuf has been arrested by officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service while attempting to smuggle drugs to an inmate at the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre in Abuja. The suspect was said to have disguised as a visitor to one of the inmates but was apprehended during a search by the correctional service officials.

6. No fewer than two persons were drowned when a boat carrying some villagers in the Kalgwai community in Auyo Local Government Area of Jigawa State capsized on Sunday. The incident, according to a statement by the National Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday, involved 20 persons who were returning from a nearby market in the Gujungu village.

7. The Peoples Democratic Party has approached the Court of Appeal, Abuja division, to appeal the Federal High Court judgment that invalidated the primaries that produced Asue Ighodalo as its gubernatorial candidate in the forthcoming 2024 governorship election in Edo State. The appellant (PDP), in an appeal hinged on 25 grounds, asked the appellate court to set aside the judgment of the lower court delivered on July 4, 2024.

8. The Chief Whip of the Senate, Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South), has claimed that President Bola Tinubu is unaware of the current situation outside the Presidential Villa. Speaking to journalists on Wednesday at the National Assembly complex in Abuja, Ndume alleged that the President has been fenced off and caged by certain forces.

9. The battle line was on Wednesday drawn again in Rivers State between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and 27 members of the House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule. The governor insisted that the seats of the 27 lawmakers were vacant, recalling that they had ceased to be members of the House since December 13, last year.

10. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) may arraign a former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, today for allegedly laundering over N33, 804, 830, 593.73. Mamman, who served under ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, is expected to face a 12-count charge, based on offences he allegedly committed during his tenure between August 2019 and September 2021.