Naija News: Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Friday, 2nd August, 2024

Naija News: Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Friday, 2nd August, 2024 can be accessed below

1. Eighty-seven lawyers have been newly elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) by the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC). This was announced in a press release on August 1, 2024, by the Secretary of the LPPC, Hajia Hajo Sarki Bello.

According to the statement, the lawyers were elevated to the coveted rank during the 164th Plenary session held on Thursday, August 1, under the Chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola.

2. WhatsApp may suspend its operations in Nigeria following a $220 million fine imposed by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) for a data privacy breach.

Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, might also consider withdrawing certain services from the country.

3. The Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo (FUHSO), has announced the sale of application forms for its remaining Secicnes programs for the 2024/2025 academic session.

Prospective students interested in enrolling in these programs can now purchase the forms and apply for admission.

4. The Governor of Kano State, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has announced a 24-hour curfew across the state in response to the escalating hunger protests. The curfew was declared during a press conference at the Government House on Thursday.

Governor Yusuf stated, “After careful consideration, we have decided to implement a 24-hour curfew to prevent further looting, vandalism of businesses, and the loss of innocent lives.”

5. Six protesters have been reported dead, with many others injured in the ongoing hardship protest in Suleja, Niger State.

The fatalities occurred as security forces attempted to remove a group of protesters who had barricaded a section of the Abuja-Kaduna highway, causing significant delays for motorists.

6. Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, has revealed that over 30 million phone lines are currently not linked to a National Identification Number (NIN) and face potential disconnection. These unlinked lines are primarily associated with car trackers, MiFi units, WiFi devices, and Point of Sale (POS) machines.

“The numbers are staggering,” Adebayo said in a recent interview with News Central, noting that this includes SIM cards used in various digital devices. “We are dealing with potentially over 30 million SIM cards, including those in car trackers, POS machines, MiFis, WiFis, and other devices that rely on SIMs.”

7. The Federal Government has extended the deadline for workers’ verification from July 31 to August 15, 2024.

IDOMA VOICE reports that Civil servants are required to verify their identities on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) portal as part of efforts to halt salaries and impose penalties on ghost workers. Many civil servants have rushed to obtain their Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), which, along with the IPPIS number and salary account number is necessary for verification.

8. On Thursday, the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Adeniran Akinwale, announced the arrest of six prime suspects in connection with the kidnap and murder of Prof. Olorunfemi Olaofe, former Deputy Vice Chancellor of Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti.

Prof. Olaofe was abducted from his residence at the Federal Housing Estate, Ado Ekiti, along with his security guard, on July 9, 2027. His body was found buried in a shallow grave in the bush along Airport Road at Afao Ekiti on Wednesday, July 31.

9 A Senator representing Zamfara West senatorial zone, Alhaji Abdul Aziz Yari has cautioned Nigerians against joining the planned nationwide protest which started Thursday, August 1.

Addressing a mammoth crowd in his country home at Talata-Mafara on Wednesday, Senator Yari said, the pockets of protests would not solve the country’s problems, which according to him, have been in existence for decades.

10. Team Nigeria will be involved in six events on Friday (today) as the athletics event of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games hits the running.

Nigeria’s hope of clinching medals at the Games has been heavily linked to the track and field events, and all eyes will be on high jumper Temitope Adeshina, women’s discus trio Ashely Anumba, Chioma Onyekwere, and Obiageri Amaechi, shot put thrower Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, as well as the mixed 4x400m relay team, who will be competing in the first round of their respective events at the Stade de France.