Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today Monday, 8th March 2021
1. Presidency Breaks Silence On Fire Outbreak At Presidential Villa
The Presidency has denied reports that there was a fire outbreak inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Saturday night.
There are reports that a fire outbreak in the Presidential Villa in Aso Rock, Abuja had caused confusion among staff in the villa.
According to SaharaReporters, the fire incident started at 4 pm as the fire service officials tried desperately to put it out.
“The security men were chasing people not to capture the incident, but I tried my best to capture it. The fire is still on,” a source said.
Reacting in a statement titled “Bush fire incident recorded outside villa perimeter,” the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said the fire that broke out happened “between the outer wire fence and walls surrounding the Villa.”
He said the “bush fire” started and ended outside the perimeter walls of the Villa.
2. OPC Captures Suspected Notorious Killer Herdsman, Iskilu Wakili
A joint team of Ibarapa security operatives, including Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Vigilante, and other groups have arrested the notorious Fulani herdsmen terrorizing Oyo communities, Iskilu Wakili.
Wakili who is notorious for killing and kidnapping several people in Ibarapa, Oke Ogun, Oyo State was arrested after several attempts resulting in a gun battle.
Recall that Wakili’s second in command Isiaka Mohammed was recently arrested alongside four others.
Confirming Wakili’s arrest, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Aderemi, said the Fulani warlord was arrested around 7 am on Sunday.
Adams stated that the herdsman had been handed over to the Divisional Police Office in Igbo Ora, Oyo State.
3. FAAN Reveals Plan For Kaduna Airport After Attack By Bandits
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has declared that the Kaduna International Airport won’t be shut down following the recent attack on its staff quarters by armed bandits.
The managing director of FAAN, Hamisu Yadudu made this known when he received members of the Senate Committee on aviation in Lagos over the weekend.
Speaking with the legislators, the FAAN boss declared that the incident is a worrying security concern and while efforts have been activated to prevent any such re-occurrence, there is no need to shut down the Kaduna International Airport.
He added that security has been beefed up across the various airports.
4. SGF Boss Mustapha, COVID-19 Task Force Members To Get Vaccine On Monday
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha will receive the COVID-19 vaccine on Monday.
Other members of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, will also receive the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, Naija News understands.
This was confirmed in a statement by the Director of Information, Office of the SGF (OSGF), Mr Willie Bassey, who noted that the vaccination will be done during the weekly national briefing by the PTF in Abuja.
“Arrangements have been concluded for the SGF/ Chairman of PTF and members to be vaccinated tomorrow, Monday 8th March, 2021, during the weekly national briefing at 4:00pm,” the statement said.
5. You Can’t Ban Open Grazing – Miyetti Allah Dares Buhari, Governors
A factional umbrella body for herdsmen, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, has kicked against the ban imposed on open grazing by South-west governors.
This is however against the position of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), which at a meeting with some governors in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on January 25, had agreed with the position of the governors.
The meeting in Akure was attended by the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi; Governors Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun State, Muhammad Badaru of Jigawa State, Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State and Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State. MACBAN was led to the meeting by its chairman, Alhaji Muhammadu Kiruwa, among other attendees.
Apart from South-West governors, governors in the South-East had previously banned open grazing and movement of cows on foot into the South-East.
But speaking in an interview with The Punch on Saturday, the Secretary-General of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Saleh Alhassan, said the enforcement of the ban was tantamount to an eviction notice.
6. Restructuring Solution To Nigeria’s Problems – Wole Soyinka
Literary icon and Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has stated that Nigerian can only tackle some of the major problems rocking if the country is restructured.
Naija News reports that Soyinka stated this on Saturday at the virtual 2021 Obafemi Awolowo Lecture with the theme, ‘Whither Nigeria?’
According to the popular government critic, anybody still asking what restructuring means despite the numerous explanations already provided should be ignored because such persons had chosen to be ignorant deliberately.
Soyinka said, “There is a consensus that this country whether in terms of governance, economic relations, security, educational policy, cultural policy, etc, requires restructuring. Even the word ‘restructuring’ has been restructured in many directions, in cogent expression which will mean the same thing for everybody.
7. Supreme Court Justice Sylvester Ngwuta Is Dead
A Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, has died on Sunday morning from an undisclosed illness.
Confirming his death to TheCable, the spokesperson of the supreme court, Ahuraka Isah said Ngwuta had been ill for some time.
According to Isah, Ngwuta’s illness took a turn for the worse on Thursday and was subsequently taken to the intensive care unit.
The supreme court spokesperson, however, said Ngwuta tested negative for COVID-19.
8. Why I Am Not Surprised Buhari Didn’t Retain Me – Dalung
A former Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Solomon Dalung, has stated that he was not surprised President Muhammadu Buhari did not reappoint him.
Naija News recalls that Dalung served as the nation’s sports minister during the first term of President Buhari but Sunday Dare was appointed in 2019 to replace him.
Speaking in an interview with The Punch, Dalung stated that he carried out his duties in Buhari’s first term without looking to be retained.
According to the former minister, he could have contracted COVID-19 at the beginning of the pandemic if he was reappointed.
9. Amotekun: South-West To Unveil New Security Outfit – Gani Adams
The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, has stated that a new security outfit will be established to compliment Amotekun and other security agencies to tackle insecurity in the South-west.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos State, Gani Adams stated that the security outfit will soon be unveiled.
He said the new security outfit would involve all security groups, traditional rulers and other stakeholders in the region, The Sun reports.
10. UFC: Blachowicz Beats Adesanya, Retains Heavyweight Title
UFC legend Jan Blachowicz on Sunday morning defeated Israel Adesanya to retain his light heavyweight title.
Israel Adesanya had intended to beat Blachowicz to become the fifth fighter in UFC history to become a two-weight champion simultaneously.
The Nigerian had stepped into the octagon against Jan Blachowicz, the light-heavyweight title-holder, in a bid to add to his middleweight championship honours.
Adesanya has made a career of trashing reputations, his speed, power, and movement combining to build an unbeaten 20-0 record.