Good morning NIGERIANS, welcome to Egalitarian Voice News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Monday, 9th January 2023.
1. ‘Govt Is Saddened By The Ugly Situation’ – FG Reacts To Edo Train Kidnap
The federal government of Nigeria has described the Saturday attack on the Tom Ikimi Train Station in Edo State as a sad development.
The government in a statement on Sunday by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Transportation, Mr. Henshaw Ogubike however assured that efforts are already ongoing to rescue the abducted persons.
Egalitarian Voice News recalls gunmen kidnapped a yet-to-be-identified number of people from the train station in the Igueben Local Government Area of Edo State.
2. CBN Clarifies Fresh Directive To Banks, Says There Is Enough New Naira Notes To Meet Demand
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has clarified that it did not ban Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) from paying customers the new notes over the counter.
Egalitarian Voice News reports that the CBN in a memo had directed the banks to load their Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) with only new notes to ensure that the currency circulates across the nation ahead of the January 31 deadline.
Clarifying reports that it stopped over the counter withdrawal, the CBN’s Director of Corporate Communication, Osita Nwanisobi, disclosed that the directive to the banks to dispense new notes via ATMs was to complement over-the-counter transactions and increase the circulation of the redesigned notes.
3. Edo Train Station Attack: NRC Shuts Ekehen Station Indefinitely
The Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced an indefinite shutdown of Ekehen Station in Edo State following unknown gunmen attack during the weekend.
Egalitarian Voice News had reported earlier that some gunmen stormed the station on Saturday evening and abducted scores of passengers waiting to travel to Delta State.
The incident has attracted reactions from concerned bodies and Nigerians across the board as it happened barely one year after the March 28, 2022, attack by terrorists on the Abuja-Kaduna train, resulting in the death of about 14 passengers while 65 others were abducted.
4. Top Northern Governor Reveals Only Thing That Can Stop Tinubu From Winning 2023 Presidency
Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule says the northern Governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are solidly behind the ambition of the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu
This is as he boasted that Tinubu is fully on course to win the 2023 presidential election and succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to him, only God can stop the APC candidate from winning the February polls.
5. Anambra: Hoodlums Burn Police Station
The Umuchu Police Station, along the Umuchu-Achina road, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State has been burnt by some hoodlums.
Egalitarian Voice News learnt that hoodlums invaded the police station on Sunday at about 3 am and set the facility on fire.
A further report has it that the police facility was recently renovated by members of the Umuchu Improvement Union as it was destroyed during the #EndSARS protest in 2020.
A source that spoke with Punch said the community leaders had renovated the station and its adjourning infrastructure and upgraded it to fit the status of a divisional police station.
The community leaders thereafter donated it to the Nigeria Police Force to help in the fight against insecurity in the area.
No casualty was recorded in the attack as security operatives had vacated the station to another location after it was destroyed during the #EndSARS protest and were yet to return.
There was no police officer on duty at the time of the attack as the station had been vacated.
6. Leave Atiku Alone, Focus On The Real Sick Presidential Candidate – PDP Campaign
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council has dismissed reports that its presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has fallen ill and flown abroad.
Egalitarian Voice News understands that an online platform had claimed that the PDP flagbearer is sick and has been flown to London, the United Kingdom, for medical treatment.
7. FG Shortlists 20 Candidates For Accountant General’s Replacement
Twenty candidates have been shortlisted by the Federal Government for the position of a new and substantive accountant-general of the federation (AGF).
According to TheCable, in a circular released by the Federal Government, twenty candidates were drawn from different ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).
Recall that the former AGF, Ahmed Idris was arrested in Kano State after he failed to honour invitations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The anti-graft agency had invited him to answer questions over an allegation of N109 billion fraud.
Days after his arrest, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed suspended Idris.
Chukwunyere Anamekwe, who was chosen to replace Idris in an acting capacity also removed.
8. Terrorism: FG To Resume Trial Of Boko Haram Suspects – Jedy-Agba
President Muhammadu Buhari-led government is set to commence the prosecution of Boko Haram suspects.
EGALITARIAN VOICE News learnt that the suspects are being held in a military facility in Kainji, Niger state by March 2023.
The Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Beatrice Jedy-Agba disclosed this at the weekend.
According to Jedy-Agba, extensive plans and preparations have been put in place for the resumption of the prosecution of the suspected Boko Haram suspects.
Jedy-Agba claimed that the Buhari administration is committed to dispensing justice, assuaging the feelings of victims/survivors as well as decongesting the holding facility firm and irreversible.
She said the delay in the trial of the accused persons might be traceable to extenuating factors relating to diligent investigation and most importantly the need to put in place adequate infrastructure and measures necessary for proper and fair trials to meet minimum global standards.
Those are the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Egalitarian Voice News. See you again tomorrow.
