Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today Tuesday, 27th April 2021
1. Biden’s Secretary of State, Blinken To Meet Buhari
United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, will on Tuesday meet with President Muhammadu Buhari during his first virtual trip to Africa since US President Joe Biden came into office.
Naija News reports that this was made known in a statement on Monday by Blinken’s spokesman, Ned Price.
Price revealed that the US Secretary of State will also virtually visit Kenya after meeting with the Nigerian leader and his Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama.
2. National Assembly Unaware Of Isa Pantami’s Extremist Views – Lawmaker
A member of the House of Representatives, Yusuf Gagdi, has said the Department of State Services (DSS) did not inform the National Assembly of Isa Pantami’s past extremist views.
Gagdi, who is the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Navy, said he was amongst those who screened Pantami in 2019 before he emerged Minister of Communications and Digital Economy in 2019.
Recall that a former Assistant Director with the DSS, Dennis Amachree, had claimed that the secret police screened Pantami before his confirmation as a minister in 2019 but the minister sailed through National Assembly screening due to a lot of factors including federal character balancing.
Reacting while featuring on TVC breakfast show, ‘Your View’, the lawmaker said, “I don’t think it is true that there was in that report regarding Pantami to the National Assembly, quote me anywhere.”
3. NBC Suspends, Fines Channels Television For IPOB Interview
The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has suspended Channels Television with a fine of N5 million for breaching the broadcast code.
Naija News reports that this was made known in a letter to the Managing Director of Channels Television, signed by the Acting Director-General of the NBC, Prof. Armstrong Idachaba.
NBC referred to Channels 7 pm live broadcast programme of Sunday, April 25, 2021, as a reason for its suspension.
It accused the TV station of allowing a leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to make secessionist and inciting declarations on air without being cautioned or reprimanded by the station.
NBC described it as contrary to the broadcast code.
It also accused the station of allowing the guest speaker to allegedly make derogatory and misleading statements about the Nigerian Army, despite being proscribed by a court of law.
4. Five Dead As Gunmen Set Ablaze Imo Police Area Command
Unknown gunmen on Monday razed the Okigwe South Police Area Command situated in Orieagu in the Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State.
A police officer at the headquarters who spoke with Punch noted that the gunmen on arrival at the station opened fire on the cops who challenged them.
It was gathered that the armed men also release all the suspects in the cells and carted away their arms.
The source further stated that not less than five policemen were shot dead by the attackers as they set the security facility on fire.
The source said, “Our area command headquarters in Okigwe south is on fire. Six policemen shot dead. They also freed the suspects before igniting a fire on the facility.”
The spokesperson of the command in the state, Orlando Ikeokwu, noted that five policemen were killed while one was missing during the attack.
5. I Have Been Rejecting Ministerial Appointments Since 2007 — Ezekwesili
Co-convener of the ‘Bring Back Our Girls Movement, Oby Ezekwesili, on Monday disclosed that she made a promise in 2007 that she would never accept a ministerial appointment again.
The former Minister in a series of tweets further stated that she had rejected past ministerial appointments.
This is coming a few weeks after her former protégé, Japheth Omojuwa, said in an open letter that Ezekwesili was expected to be appointed a minister by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.
Ezekwesili was accused of criticizing Buhari by many supporters of the President because he failed to appoint her as minister.
She further stated that she is not moved by ministerial appointments, adding that the appointment by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in the early 2000s, had put a strain on her family.
6. Bandits Kill Two More Students Of Greenfield University In Kaduna
Armed bandits have killed two more students abducted from the Greenfield University in Kaduna State.
A statement credited to Mr Samuel Aruwan, Commissioner, Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Kaduna State on Monday, April 26 noted that the lifeless bodies of the students were discovered on Monday, 26th April.
Naija News understands that the security agencies have notified the State Government of the recovery while the retrieved corpses have been evacuated to a mortuary, and the university has been notified of the development.
7. Again, Gunmen Attack Security Operatives, Kill 5 Soldiers In Rivers State
Five soldiers have been reported killed in fresh attacks by gunmen on security formations in Rivers State.
Naija News understands the gunmen attacked the camp at Abua, in Abua/Odual Local Government Area on Monday morning.
The development was confirmed to Channels TV by two top security personnel in Rivers State but as at the time of filing this report, the six Division of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt is yet to release an official statement.
The latest attack comes barely 48 hours after this online news medium reported an attack by suspected gunmen of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on two security checkpoints in Rivers State has left not less than eight security operatives dead.
8. We’re Investigating Alleged Airstrike On Soldiers – Air Force
The Nigerian Air Force on Monday reacted to the report alleging that an airstrike killed military officers by mistake in Borno State.
The report had claimed that over 20 military officers were attacked by an Air Force coordinated airstrike in Mainok, Maiduguri after they were mistaken for Boko Haram terrorists.
The Air Force in a post on Twitter noted that it is investigating the alleged incident and will update the public when the investigation has been concluded.
9. Boko Haram Terrorists Now Closer To Abuja – Gov Bello
The Governor of Niger State, Abubakar Bello, on Monday noted that Boko Haram insurgents are closer to the Federal Capital Territory.
Governor Bello while speaking with people in an Internally Displaced Persons Camp said the terrorists invaded a part of the state after the Federal Government refused to effectively secure the state.
He further stated that he reached out to the Federal Government on different occasions but nothing fruitful came out of the process.
According to Bello, terrorists are trying to make Kaure in Shirroro Local Government Area of the state their headquarters as they did to Sambisa forest in Borno State.
He, however, said while Sambisa forest is several kilometres from Abuja, Kaure is only two hours from the nation’s capital.
10. Panic As Gunmen Kidnap Benue Varsity Students
Some students of the Federal University of Agriculture in Makurdi (FUAM), the Benue State capital, have been kidnapped by unknown gunmen.
In a statement on Monday by the Director of Information, Protocol and Public Relations Unit (IPPR), Rosemary Waku, the school management confirmed that the incident occurred on Sunday night.
According to the institution’s PRO, the gunmen took an unspecified number of students away at gunpoint on campus after shooting sporadically.
“The University has reported the incident to the police and all relevant security agencies.