Naija News: Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Wednesday, 23th August, 2023

Naija News, read Top Headlines today, Wednesday, 23th 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. President Bola Tinubu has issued a directive for the Director-General and CEO of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Aliyu Abubakar Aziz, to commence a 90-day pre-retirement leave.

   IDOMA VOICE reports that the directive will become effective on August 24, 2023, leading to Aziz’s retirement from service on November 24, 2023. This information was conveyed in a statement signed by presidential spokesperson Ajure Ngelale.

2. A reported clash between the Nigerian Army troops of the 34 Artillery Brigade and suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliate, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), resulted in the death of one individual in Anambra State.

   Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Director of Army Public Relations, issued a statement on Tuesday disclosing that the proscribed Biafra group attempted an attack on troops stationed at the Forward Operating Base at Ukwuorji, along the Owerri-Onitsha expressway on August 20, 2023. However, the vigilant troops of the 82 Division managed to thwart the assault.

3. Tragic violence involving rival bandit factions has led to the deaths of at least eight people in two communities, Chitto and Gbeji, located within the Ukum local government area of Benue state. The clashes unfolded over two days, starting on Monday and continuing into Tuesday, resulting in casualties and the destruction of a market.

   This incident occurred shortly after the unfortunate death of a ward commander associated with the Benue State Livestock Guard. Reports from anonymous sources revealed that five people were killed in the Chitto community on Monday, while an additional three fatalities occurred in Gbeji on Tuesday, August 22.

4. Diezani Alison-Madueke, who previously served as Nigeria’s oil minister from 2010 to 2015 and was the first woman to hold this position, has been officially charged with bribery by the UK National Crime Agency (NCA) on Tuesday. This development follows her historic role as the first female president of the global oil consortium OPEC.

   Andy Kelly, head of the NCA’s international corruption unit, expressed that there are suspicions of Alison-Madueke exploiting her authority in Nigeria and accepting financial inducements in exchange for awarding lucrative multi-million pound contracts. The NCA has brought to light allegations that she received no less than £100,000 ($127,000) in cash, chauffeured vehicles, private jet flights, extravagant family vacations, and the use of multiple high-end London apartments.

   5. In an official statement dated August 22 and endorsed by Ajuri Ngelale, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, President Bola Tinubu has designated Bisoye Coker-Odusote as the Acting Director General/Chief Executive Officer of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), effective from August 24, 2023.

   As part of this directive, President Tinubu has also initiated a 90-day pre-retirement leave for Engr. Aliyu Abubakar Aziz, the current Director-General/CEO of NIMC, starting from August 24, 2023. This leave will culminate in his formal retirement from service on November 24, 2023.

   6. Nigerian sprint hurdler Tobi Amusan is poised to commence her defense of the 100m women’s hurdles title at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary. This exciting event is scheduled for Tuesday, today.

   Amusan is set to take to the track precisely at 6:12pm Nigerian time, marking her appearance at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest.

   7. In a tragic incident, Brigadier General I. M. Ahmadu, a distinguished senior officer in the Nigerian Army, has passed away while participating in the Second Annual Physical Training Test for 2023. The unfortunate incident occurred during his running session.

   Brigadier General Ahmadu, who served as an Artillery Officer within the Army Headquarters Department of Special Services and Programmes, suffered a fall during the course of the run. He was immediately rushed to a hospital, where his condition was confirmed, as reported by SaharaReporters on Monday evening.

   8. Ngodoo Aondongu, a young woman hailing from the North Bank area of Makurdi, has been discovered stranded in Accra, Ghana, under distressing circumstances. She is urgently appealing for assistance to be reunited with her parents.

   According to reports, Ngodoo was taken to Ghana under dubious circumstances that involved alleged prostitution. However, she has vehemently refused to partake in such activities. It is claimed that she is currently facing significant challenges, including being under the influence of some form of bewitchment, which has left her in a state where she struggles to recognize people.

   9. The University of Calabar’s administration is considering the possibility of reviewing and revisiting the student lists that were forwarded to the Nigerian Law School over the last two years. This potential action comes in response to serious allegations that Prof. Cyril Ndifon, the former dean of the university’s Faculty of Law, who was suspended recently due to accusations of sexual misconduct, had manipulated these lists by displaying favoritism towards female students with whom he allegedly had inappropriate relations.

   Prof. Florence Obi, the Vice Chancellor of the University, addressed the press regarding the multiple media reports that surfaced last week, which centered around accusations that Ndifon had engaged in sexual misconduct with female students and had a pattern of disregarding proper protocols. According to Prof. Obi, qualified students were reportedly favored by Ndifon only if they acquiesced to his improper advances.

   10. The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Nyesom Wike, has told staff the administration to buckle up or they should look for job elsewhere.

   The minister specifically, ordered the director in charge of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, AEPB, to clean up the city, saying he would be on his case to the point of increasing his blood pressure.