Nigerian Newspapers: 10 things you need to know this Sunday morning

Good morning! Welcome to Odogwublog.ocm, Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers:

1. The Nigerian government has reportedly agreed to pay the $200m security deposit ordered by Justice Christopher Butcher of the Commercial Court in London regarding the ongoing gas dispute case between Nigeria and Process and Industry Development Limited. The British court had asked Nigeria to pay $200m security payment in the court’s account while granting request to stay execution in the award of $9.6bn award in favour of Process and Industry Development Limited. A report has now claimed that the Federal Government’s legal team said during a hearing at the London court on Friday that Nigeria would pay the $200m security deposit.

2. Armed men suspected to be herders have attacked a village in Adamawa State, killing unspecified number of people. The armed men swooped on Shuws-Kala’a, a village in Hong Local Government Area on Saturday, destroying human lives and valuable property, local sources said. One of the locals, Sani Ahmed, who claimed that herders had been troubling the area since the beginning of the harvest season, added that their attack on Saturday followed a similar pattern.

3. The immediate past Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, has written to the current AGF, Abubakar Malami, and the International Police Organisation, to ensure his release from custody. Adoke was arrested by the Interpol in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, on November 11 over charges of $1.1bn Malabu Oil scam. But in a letter sent to the Interpol headquarters in Lyon, France, Adoke said his arrest was based on an arrest warrant earlier thrown out by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. In another later, Adoke urged Malami to attest the judgment of the FCT High Court which set aside the earlier warrant of arrest issued against him.

4. The Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Saturday, claimed that the government led by Hon. Bello Mohammed Matawalle has borrowed over N70 billion from various commercial banks without any concrete proof on ground to justify such a huge loan. Addressing newsmen in Gusau, the state capital, the Publicity Secretary of APC in the state, Hon Ibrahim Damaliki Gidangoga, explained that he had proof of all the money that was borrowed since he became the state governor on May 29, 2019.

5. No fewer than 17 cows and two sheep were killed by a thunderstorm in Iba, in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Osun State. According to an eyewitness, who spoke to DAILY POST on Saturday, the incident happened on Friday at Gaa Eleesun, a community mostly populated by Fulani herdsmen. It was further learnt that the thunderstorm, which struck around 6:00 pm, also injured many individuals in the community, causing serious apprehension.

6. One of the inmates in the Nigerian Correctional Service, Eket, Akwa Ibom State was on Friday night allegedly killed by suspected warders manning the centre. The report claims that the deceased, yet to be identified, was beaten to death following a little misunderstanding with the warders. However, other inmates having seen what happened, at the early hours of Saturday marched out in protest, destroying some facilities in the centre.

7. Another ASUU faction, The National Steering Committee of the Congress of University Academics, has moved swiftly against the position of the academic body regarding IPPIS, directing university lecturers who belong to the group to immediately begin enrolment on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System in compliance with the Federal Government’s directive. Leadership of the group, on Saturday, disclosed that the decision to enrol on IPPIS, against the stand of Academic Staff Union of Universities, was reached at a meeting of CONUA National Steering Committee.

8. The Nigerian Army has relocated some of its units and formations located at Yaba to Epe to pave way for the expansion of railway project in Lagos State. The units relocated were the 81 Division Base Ordnance Depot, printing press and tailoring factory. The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, during the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction on Saturday, disclosed that the relocation would lead to enhanced military presence in the area.

9. The Centre for Information Technology and Development has said that the proposed bill on the regulation of social media will be a major threat to democracy when passed into law. This was contained in a press statement signed by its Executive Director YZ Ya’u. He said the law will only gag the media and give security agencies power to detain and oppress whoever they see as critical dissent, threat or enemy to the government in power.

10. A Civil Society Organisation, The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), has commended the Lagos State Police Command for returning the sum of N705,000 extorted from one Kareem Jamiu, by five policemen. The commendation was made in a statement issued and signed on Saturday in Lagos by the Executive Director of the group, Mr Okechukwu Nwanguma. According to Nwanguma, Jamiu was invited on Friday by the command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Bala Elkana, and handed back to him the N705,000 extorted from him by the five officers.