Good morning! Here is today’s summary of Latest Nigerian News from Nigerian Newspapers of Wednesday 23rd August 2023
1. Former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke has been charged with bribery offences by the UK National Crime Agency (NCA). According to the information posted on the agency’s website, Alison-Madueke, alleged to have accepted bribes in return for awarding multi-million-pound oil and gas contracts, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on October 2.
2. President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday ordered the Director-General and CEO of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Aliyu Abubakar Aziz to commence a 90-day pre-retirement leave. Tinubu, in a statement signed by presidential spokesperson, Ajure Ngelale, also approved the appointment of Bisoye Coker-Odusote as the acting Director-General and CEO of NIMC for a 90-day period.
3. An unconfirmed number of people have been electrocuted to death at the Amaechi-School Road junction in Rumuosi, along the East-West Road, Obio-Akpor local government area of Rivers State. While some reports claim over six persons died from the electrocution, others say there were five casualties.
4. The Nigerian Army said troops of 34 Artillery Brigade, operating in 82 Division’s area of responsibility, foiled an attack by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliate, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), on its Forward Operating Base at Ukwuorji, along the Owerri-Onitsha expressway. Brig Gen Onyema Nwachukwu, Director, Army Public Relations, who disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, said the irredentist fighters attempted the attack on the troops on August 20, 2023, but met their waterloo when they came under the superior firepower of the vigilant troops.
5. The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Mr Nyesom Wike has solicited the support of workers in the FCT Administration (FCTA) to make Abuja a befitting capital city. Wike made the appeal in Abuja while receiving handing over notes from Mr Adesola Olusade, Permanent Secretary, FCTA, in Abuja on Tuesday.
6. The controversies trailing the political crisis in Republic of Niger, where a coup d’etat recently played out may not have abated as President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, leader of the ECOWAS delegation to Niger Republic and the National Security Adviser (NSA) to the President, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu visited the Presidential Villa Abuja to update President Bola Tinubu on their recent mission to the embattled country. Sources privy to the meeting confirmed that Abdulsalami Abubakar and the ECOWAS delegation to Niger recently are exploiting all avenues to avert war with the neighbouring country, especially now that the military junta in Niger has said it was not averse to dialogue to resolving the impasse.
7. The National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Umuahia has dismissed a petition challenging the election of Rep. Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. In his ruling, Justice Samson Paul-Gang, who led the three-member panel on Tuesday, dismissed the petition by the Labour Party (LP) for lacking merit.
8. Dr Betta Edu, the new Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation has said the Federal Government plans to lift 133 million Nigerians out of poverty. Edu disclosed this on Monday after the resumption of office while speaking with heads of agencies under the ministry.
9. The National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, has resumed orientation services in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, 12 years after the camp was shut down due to the Boko Haram insurgency. The NYSC Orientation camp, located along Kano Road, was shut down in 2012 during the height of the Boko Haram insurgency due to fears expressed by Nigerians over the safety of their wards.
10. A former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai has advised the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) not to consider military intervention in Niger Republic. In a Twitter post on Tuesday, El-Rufai claimed military intervention would be a war between brothers.
