Newspaper Review: 10 Things You Need To Know Today

Good morning! Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers1. The Senator representing Ekiti State, Sylvester Ayodele Arise, has been reportedly kidnapped by unknown gunmen.

The APC chieftain was abducted on his way to Abuja from Akure on Sunday night, with his kidnappers demanding a ransom of N80m.

2. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has barred former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, from displaying their posters and banners at next Saturday’s convention.
Ex-governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau and Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, have also been warned against using the event for their presidential campaigns.

3.  The Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has given more insight into how a pension syndicate defrauded‎ the country of well over N42 billion between 2010 and 2014.
Malami’s revelation was contained in a memo he submitted to the Senate Ad-hoc Committee investigating the reinstatement and promotion of the former chairman of Presidential Task Force on Pensions, Abdulrasheed Maina, headed by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Services, Senator Emmanuel Paulker, PDP, Bayelsa Central.


4. A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has issued a bench warrant against a former governor of Enugu State, Dr Chimaroke Nnamani, over alleged misappropriation of public funds while in office.
Justice Chuka Obiozor made the order, yesterday due to the former governor’s failure to appear before the court to take his plea in a criminal charge filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission , EFCC, over alleged N5.3 billion fraud.

5. The Court of Appeal sitting in Ado-Ekiti, yesterday, granted an interim order staying the execution of all orders granted by Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Ado Ekiti, restraining the Dr. Eddy Olafeso-led Southwest Zonal Exco of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from functioning.

The order of the appellate court settled the dispute over which Exco should represent the Southwest at December 9 National Convention of the PDP.

6.The Kogi State University Alumni Association has dragged the Vice Chancellor of the Kogi State University (KSU), Professor Mohammed Abdulkadir and the entire institution to court for alleged N10 million fraud and unlawful interference with the alumni activities.
The suit with Number, AYHC/10/2017 came up on Monday for mention in Anyigba.
The judge of the High Court Anyigba, Hon Justice R.O Ayoola after listening to all the submissions by the counsels adjourned the suit to Wednesday 17th January, 2017 for hearing of the application for judgment.

7. The Inspector General of Police, (IGP) Idris Kpotun Ibrahim, has directed the immediate re-organization of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) across the country.
This follows series of complaints shared online by Nigerian youths on alleged harassments, assaults by SARS operatives

8. The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, said yesterday that it would collaborate with other Biafra agitators to adopt new strategies in a renewed vigour for the actualization of Biafra Republic.
MASSOB leader, Comrade Uchenna Madu said in a statement that the new strategies and consolidation would be anchored on the principle of non violence, which, according to him, would soon be unveiled.

9. IGBO apex organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo yesterday insisted that Nigeria must be restructured for it to move foward. The group insisted that the status quo in Nigeria can only lead to resentment, disaffection and agitations by various ethnic groups that make up the country.
The group said that the restructuring of Nigeria will better the lives of all Nigerians contrary to the view of those who want the status quo to remain.

10. Former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Kaduna State, Alhaji Yaro Makama has dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC and returned to the PDP.
He was welcomed back to the party at a ceremony attended by top leaders of the PDP, including the interim National Chairman of the party, Senator Ahmed Makarfi and the Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Walid Jibrin, among several others.