Naija News: Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Monday, 8th January, 2024

Top Headlines from Naija News, Monday, 8th January, 2024

1. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended a 28-year-old female supplier of ammunition to bandits named Bilkisu Suleman on the Kano expressway.

   According to Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA Headquarters, the suspect was arrested with 249 rounds of 7.62 mm live ammunition hidden in a black bag within her lady’s handbag.

2. The Supreme Court has ruled that exclusive control over activities on the nation’s inland waterways, including the imposition of levies and licensing of operators in the sector, rests solely with the federal government. In a judgment delivered on Friday, January 5, the apex court declared it improper for states to attempt to regulate the sector and impose levies on businesses operating on the country’s inland waterways.

   The court emphasized that existing laws grant the Federal Government exclusive control over inland waterway activities through its agencies, namely the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and the Nigerian Maritime Standard and Safety Agency (NMSSA), and no other level of government.

3. The Irish government has devised a strategy to attract foreign workers, including Nigerians, with specialized skills through the ‘Critical Skills Employment Permit’ program. This initiative targets individuals outside the European Economic Area and aims to address skill shortages in various sectors like production management, ICT, health, engineering, and more.

   To be eligible, interested individuals must secure a job for two years or more with a registered Irish company, offering an annual salary meeting specific criteria. The scheme covers roles in health, teaching, business, design, sports, and marketing.

4. Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has taken decisive action by ordering the suspension of the Guma 1 State Constituency primary election due to escalating security concerns. Addressing the press at the Government House, Makurdi, the governor emphasized the paramount importance of the state’s security and expressed concerns about potential violence if the election were to proceed in the already volatile Guma local government area.

   Governor Alia regretfully explained that the delegate primaries faced disruptions at Avine Agbom Hotel in Daudu, where party faithful were stopped by non-local politicians attempting to manipulate the process. Citing the emotional and sensitive nature of political issues, particularly in Guma, he highlighted the risk of escalating tensions and emphasized his duty as the Chief Security Officer to maintain peace.

5. Nigerian business magnate and industrialist, Aliko Dangote, has responded to the recent raid on the Dangote Group headquarters in Lagos by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). In a statement released on Saturday, the Chairman of the Dangote Group expressed his willingness to cooperate with the anti-graft agency in its investigations.

   The EFCC is currently investigating the Dangote Group regarding the details of foreign exchange allocations allegedly given to the company by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from 2014 to the present. The agency had reportedly stormed the headquarters of Dangote Industries Limited in Ikoyi, Lagos, as part of its ongoing probe into the alleged misuse of foreign exchange allocations during the tenure of the immediate past CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele.

6. The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said the true political leadership would be evident when the time for politics arrives.

   During his visit to Victor Giadom, the South-South Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), at his Bera country home in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, Wike addressed the current situation.

7. Former Benue governor, Samuel Ortom has declared that the G5 group within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027. 

   The G-5 include Ortom, Wike, Ugwuanyi, Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Seyi Makinde (Oyo)

8. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered a “thorough and comprehensive” investigation into the financial scandal rocking the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

   It was gathered that a document that has circulated widely and bears Edu’s signature, addressed to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, which details instructions from the Minister to disburse N585,198,500.00 to an individual named Oniyelu Bridget.

9. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has shed more light on its decision to visit the headquarters of the Dangote Group in Lagos.
   It would be recalled that last week Thursday, operatives of the EFCC stormed the Lagos Head Office of the Dangote Group.

   The visit is understood to be related to the forex allocations to the group from 2015 to the time Godwin Emefiele was suspended by President Bola Tinubu as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

10. The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has urged members of the public to disregard rumours of any imminent increase in the price of petrol.

    The Chairman of IPMAN, Enugu Depot, Mr Chinedu Anyaso, who gave the warning in Awka, Anambra state, at the weekend, while speaking with reporters, said the rumours of an impending increase in the price of petrol are nothing but social media stories.