Naija News: Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Thursday, 3rd August, 2023

Naija News, read Top Headlines today, Thursday, 3rd August 2023 below.

Below are the Newspaper Headlines & Naija News today from Nigerian Newspapers. Good morning! Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers:

1. Former Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, expressed his regrets for being unable to attend the All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus meeting and National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings. The former president was invited by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the meeting, but he cited prior commitments that prevented him from being present.

   In a tweet on Wednesday, Buhari’s former media aide, Garba Shehu, disclosed the former president’s apologies and conveyed his unwavering support and dedication to the APC. He wished the party success as its leaders gather to make crucial decisions on matters of significance to the party and the nation.

2. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, fnim, CON, warmly welcomed and received members of the Benue State Traditional Rulers’ Council in a special audience. The delegation was led by the highly esteemed His Royal Majesty, James Ortese Iorzua Ayatse, CFR, Tor Tiv, and His Royal Majesty, John Elaigwu Odogbo, Och’Idoma.

   During the audience, Senator Akume engaged in fruitful discussions with the revered traditional rulers, exchanging ideas on matters of mutual interest, including the development and progress of Benue State. The meeting provided an opportunity for the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to listen to the concerns and aspirations of the traditional leaders and to foster a collaborative approach to addressing the challenges faced by the state.

3. In a significant move, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded an additional ministerial list to the Senate for thorough screening and confirmation. The list, containing the names of potential ministerial candidates, was submitted by Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, during a plenary session.

   The submission of the supplementary list comes as part of the administration’s efforts to bolster its cabinet with qualified individuals who can contribute to the country’s progress and development. The Senate will now be responsible for scrutinizing the nominees’ qualifications and suitability for their respective roles before granting their approval.

4. High-ranking military officials from several West African countries have gathered in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, to discuss the political situation in Niger Republic. The meeting, organized in response to the recent coup in the region, is closely tied to the military’s threat of intervention by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Leading the gathering is Gen. Christopher Musa, the chairman of the ECOWAS military chiefs.

   Prominent military chiefs from Togo, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Senegal, Liberia, Guinea, Gambia, Cote’Divoire, Cabo Verde, and the Republic of Benin have already arrived in Nigeria for the meeting.

   5. As protesters swarmed the Lagos State House of Assembly premises, tensions escalated, and the situation drew the attention of the Department of State Services (DSS), whose operatives arrived on the scene.

   The demonstrators, comprising various groups and individuals expressing their grievances against certain policies or issues, converged at the Lagos Assembly to make their voices heard. The protest, which started peacefully, soon caught the attention of the security agencies due to its size and intensity.

   6. The ongoing protest by Organised Labour against the “anti-people” policies of the President Bola Tinubu administration escalated on Wednesday morning, as protesters forcefully broke down the first gate of the National Assembly (NASS) complex and gained access to the premises. Subsequently, they moved towards the second gate, prompting Senators to convene for a closed-door session.

   The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and their affiliate unions initiated the protest in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, as well as in several states across the Federation, including Lagos, Abia, Plateau, Kaduna, Kano, Rivers, Zamfara, Katsina, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Kwara, Ogun, Imo, Ondo, and Edo.

   7. In a significant operation spanning two days, operatives of the NDLEA launched a lethal assault on cannabis syndicates operating in the Opuje forests of Edo State. The crackdown led to the destruction and burning of massive warehouses and tents, containing a staggering 317,417 kilograms (317.4 metric tons) of the psychoactive substance.

   During the operation, the NDLEA arrested a police impersonator identified as Omoruan Theophilus, 37, who was posing as a Police Inspector to transport the drugs from the forests to the cities. Additionally, three other individuals, Aigberuan Jacob, 42; Ekeinde Anthony Zaza, 53, and Naomi Patience Ohiewere, 42, were apprehended in connection with the drug operation.

   8. In a heart-wrenching incident in Lagos on August 1, 2023, a young medical doctor, Dr. Vwaere Diaso, tragically lost her life after a horrifying mishap in an elevator. Dr. Diaso, who was just two weeks away from completing her housemanship at General Hospital, Odan, Lagos Island, suffered the accident while inside an elevator that reportedly crashed from the 10th floor of a building.

   The 10th-floor crash occurred when Dr. Diaso entered the elevator at the doctors’ quarters to collect her food from a dispatch rider waiting for her downstairs. She was inside the elevator when it suddenly malfunctioned and plummeted to the ground, resulting in severe injuries. Despite being rushed to the emergency ward, she succumbed to her injuries, leaving her colleagues and family in shock and grief.

   9. In a trending video circulating on social media, Nigeria’s Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has come under intense criticism for seemingly mocking the plight of poor Nigerians.

   The video, captured during a plenary session, has sparked outrage among citizens who believe that the nation’s lawmakers should be more sensitive to the struggles of their fellow citizens during these challenging economic times, IDOMA VOICE reports. 

   10. The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has taken a firm stance against Simon Ekpa and his supporters, disowning him completely and declaring Aloy Ejimakor persona non grata. The movement, under the leadership of Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, refuted the claims made by Ejimakor on Arise Television on July 29, 2023, stating that Ekpa’s supporters were not the same as Kanu’s followers.

   IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, clarified in a statement that while some misguided supporters of Ekpa might have previously aligned with Kanu’s movement, the majority of Ekpa’s followers were actually opponents of the IPOB mission. The movement made it clear that Simon Ekpa was never an official member of IPOB and had no alliance whatsoever with Mazi Nnamdi Kanu or the organization.