Nigerian Newspapers Today Saturday 9 Jan 2021

Nigerian newspapers Today Saturday 9 Jan 2021

Good morning!

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

10 things you should know this Saturday morning

1. No fewer than seven persons have been kidnapped in Kadauri, a community under Jabaka district in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State as bandits stormed the village and unleashed terror on the people, kidnapping seven and injuring one villager during the operation. According to the APC chairman of senator Kabiru Garba Marafa’s faction in Maru Local Government, Hon. Sani Gyare, the notorious bandits entered the village with many motorcycles and sophisticated weapons and left with six of his children and another person.

2. The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has directed the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to put the screening of 5,000 new recruits on hold. The order was contained in a statement Friday night by Dayo Apata, Solicitor General of the Federation. The AGF cited the current and alarming wave of COVID-19 pandemic across the country as the reason to suspend the exercise.

3. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State has told Senator Orji Uzor Kalu to “stop misleading the public with fake defections”. PDP accused the former Abia Governor of massaging “his dwindled ego” before the presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the national level. Publicity Secretary, Fabian Nwankwo, said the building that Kalu’s acclaimed defection took place cannot contain more than 50 people at a time, wondering how thousands of people could be hosted.

4. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), has reported 1544 new COVID-19 infections in the country. NCDC disclosed this via its verified Twitter account on Friday night. The health agency reported that the country sadly recorded twelve additional deaths in the last 24 hours, raising the overall total in the nation since the start of the pandemic to 1,342.

5. Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, has said that up to seven SIM cards can be linked to one National Identification Number (NIN) on the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Mobile App launched recently. According to him, the ministry and NIMC are working on transforming the NIN enrolment process and the subsequent linkage to SIM cards as required by the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC).

6. Lagos State residents have discovered a suspected kidnappers’ den. The hideout was found at a location in Orile. The tunnel, under a bridge, connects to Lagos Island. After a search of the area, several school pupils’ uniforms, a generator set, an air conditioner, household items, among others were seen. It was gathered that a suspect apprehended was burnt to death.

7. Twitter has permanently suspended President Donald Trump’s account. The President was accused of using it for sedition. After the US Capitol invasion, Trump seemed to have posted tweets that tactically supported further opposition against the incoming administration. The social media platform said in the context of horrific events this week, it warned that additional violations of rules would potentially result in suspension.

8. The United Kingdom (UK) has disclosed that it spent more than £50 million to support electoral processes in Nigeria in the last five years. Sam Waldock, Head of Governance and Stability, UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office, spoke at a retreat of the Joint Technical Committee on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2020 in Abuja. Waldock said his country was a proud supporter of Nigeria’s democratic process.

9. Richard Barnett, President Donald Trump’s supporter, who broke into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office, has been apprehended. Barnett posed for pictures and stole mail from the lawmaker’s desk. He was arrested on Friday in Little Rock, Arkansas, and has been charged with three federal counts.

10. Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State has directed the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Barr Nasara Danmalan to constitute a committee to investigate allegation of financial mismanagement against the Chairman of Shiroro Local Government, Suleiman Dauda Chukuba. The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mrs. Mary Noel Berje, made the disclosure in an interview in Minna on Friday.