Nigerian Newspapers Today Wednesday 19 May 2021

Good morning!

iexclusive News Nigeria brings to you today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers

10 things you need to know this Wednesday morning

1. Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr Usman Baba, yesterday, launched a new security operation to address rising insecurity and secessionist agitation in the South East. Baba disclosed that the campaign was in line with the directive given to the Police, by President Muhammadu Buhari, to restore peace and security in the zone.

2. Nigeria’s debt profile, yesterday, hit N35.48trillion as President Muhammadu Buhari sought approval from National Assembly for an additional loan request of $6.183 billion (about N2.343 trillion), provided in the New External Borrowing in the 2021 Appropriation Act, to part-finance the budget deficit of N5.602 trillion.

3. The British government has said the world’s spotlight would be on Nigeria during the 2023 general elections and concerted efforts must be made to improve the country’s democracy. British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, disclosed this yesterday after a closed-door meeting with the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.

4. Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, yesterday, launched 300 mini busses tagged, the First and Last Mile Bus (FLM) Scheme as an alternative to commercial motorcycles, popularly known as okada.

5. The strike by organised labour to press down the demand for the recall of over 5000 workers sacked by the Kaduna State government and other anti-labour activities turned violent yesterday as protesters and thugs clashed leaving many injured.

6. President Muhammadu Buhari has raised the alarm that the terrorist sect, Boko Haram, has taken advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to push back into Nigeria. He stated this in an opinion article published on Tuesday in the Paris-based magazine, Le Point.

7. A gun duel which lasted more than one hour, on Tuesday morning, between troops and bandits in some communities in Magama Local Government Area of Niger State, left three soldiers and scores of the bandits dead. Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello confirmed the deaths to newsmen, in Minna, yesterday.

8. The Senate, yesterday, urged the Federal Government to review the implementation of the policy that makes the National Identity Number (NIN) a prerequisite for the 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). This was following a motion by Senator Ifeanyi Uba during the Tuesday plenary.

9. Gunmen yesterday invaded a Sharia Court in Bauren Zakat village in Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State and kidnapped a judge identified as Alhaji Husaini Sama’ila. The Katsina State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Gambo Isah, confirmed the incident.

10. Governor Nasir El-Rufai, yesterday, fired Kaduna State University lecturers and nurses below level 14 working with the state government over the ongoing face-off between the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the government.