Inside Nigeria: Updates you need to know Saturday morning

Voice Air Media, VAM News Update

Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers:

1. The police authorities yesterday deployed about 30 armed policemen to protect the official quarters of members of the Rivers State House of Assembly on Aba Road, Port Harcourt. The move was apparently in response to an allegation by the pro-Wike factional Speaker of the House Martins Amaewhule, that the complex had been penciled down for demolition by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

2. Mr. Abdulwahab Mohammed, SAN, counsel to the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, on Friday, promised to produce his client before the Federal High Court on June 13 for arraignment in respect of the 19-count money laundering charge filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

3. The Nigerian Army yesterday pulled out 29 Generals of the Infantry Corps who retired from active military service. Out of the 29 retired infantry officers pulled out of active service at the Jaji Military Cantonment in Kaduna State, 19 were Major-Generals and 10 Brigadiers-General.

4. Bandits have attacked two farming communities in Zamfara State where they killed at least 30 farmers, including a respected Islamic cleric. And elsewhere in Plateau, two herders and over 200 cattle were killed. Police Spokesman in Zamfara, ASP Yazid Abu Abubakar, confirmed the attacks on two local government areas of the state, but said details would be given later.

5. Naira has dipped from the best to the worst performing currency, according to a new Bloomberg report. This is a reversal in its recent gains, emerging as the world’s worst-performing currency after a wonderful performance last month.

6. Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers has gazetted the Executive Order relocating the House of Assembly to the Auditorium, Admin Block of the Government House, Port Harcourt. Dated December 14, 2023, the document cited burning of the chamber of the House of Assembly as reason for the relocation.

7. Following protests by some Civil Society Organisations in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, a journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism, Daniel Ojukwu, who was arrested by the Intelligence Response Team of the Inspector General of Police has regained freedom. Ojukwu regained freedom on Friday after 10 days in police captivity.

8. The National Identity Management Commission on Friday said it has uncovered a syndicate of individuals posing as employees of the commission and issuing fake national identity numbers to unsuspecting Nigerians. It said some suspects have been arrested and were undergoing prosecution with relevant security agencies.

9. Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has said he is ready to face the House of Representatives probe over the controversy surrounding the N15tn Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway road project. Umahi added that he planned to ensure the exercise was televised live for all Nigerians to see.

10. Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, on Friday, received Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, exactly 68 years after his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, visited the state, on February 2, 1959. The Queen was received by the late Premier of the defunct Northern region, Sir Ahmadu Bello.