Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today Saturday, 3rd April 2021.
1. NAF: Boko Haram Releases Video Of It Shooting Down A Fighter Jet
Boko Haram terrorists on Friday released footage showing its fighters shooting down a fighter jet mid-air.
The video also showed fighters carrying RPG & artillery equipment, as well as a corpse of the pilot & the aircraft’s debris as gathered in a report monitored by Naija News on Hum Angle Twitter page.
This is coming at a time the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has declared one of its aircraft lost radar contact on Wednesday while on a mission in the Northeast.
2. FG Extends NIN-SIM Linkage To May 6
The Federal Government on Friday disclosed that NIN-SIM linkage has been extended to May 6, 2021.
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami in a statement released on Friday noted that the request for the extension was presented to President Muhammadu Buhari and he endorsed it.
Pantami who chaired the meeting of the Ministerial Task Force on the NIN-SIM data linkage on Thursday in Abuja according to the statement jointly signed by Dr Ikechukwu Adinde of NCC and Kayode Adegoke of NIMC said the current number of monthly enrolment has increased significantly to about 2.6 million registrations.
3. Air Force Fighter Jet Found, Pilots Whereabouts Unknown
The missing Alpha jet of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has been found at a crash site in Abba-Jille in Konduga LGA of Borno State.
According to PMNews, the location of the crash is approx 30Kms outskirt from the city of Maiduguri.
However, The fate of the pilot and co-pilot remains unknown as there is no report on if they ejected safely or have been captured by insurgency fighters.
4. I Didn’t Say Nigerians Without NIN Will Be Jailed For 14 Years – Pantami [Video]
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, has denied saying that Nigerians who do not obtain their National Identification Numbers (NIN) could risk a 14-year jail term.
Naija News had reported that Pantami, during the weekly ministerial briefing organized by the Presidential Media Team, at Aso Rock, Abuja, on Thursday, warned that failure to obtain the NIN could lead to seven or 14 years imprisonment as stipulated by the Nigerian Constitution.
He had said: “National identity is a law and it is mandatory. And for you to even conduct certain activities in this country without the number is an offence.
5. Herdsmen: Why We Don’t Take Ortom Seriously – Miyetti Allah
A factional umbrella body of Fulani herdsmen, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, has said it doesn’t take Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State seriously.
The National President of the association, Alhaji Bello Abdullahi Bodejo, and National Secretary, Engr. Saleh Alhassan, said this while speaking with newsmen in Abuja on Thursday.
They stated this while reacting to allegations by Governor Ortom that their members were responsible for the attack on him.
6. Buhari Govt Plotting To Arrest And Kill Sunday Igboho – Fani-Kayode
Femi Fani-Kayode has accused some members of the Muhammadu Buhari-led government of planning to arrest, detain and kill popular Yoruba activists, Sunday Igboho Adeyemo.
Naija News reports that Fani-Kayode, who is a former Aviation Minister, made this known in a lengthy post on his Twitter page pon Friday morning.
According to the PDP, some south-west politicians who are jealous of Sunday Igboho’s rising profile are also behind the plot to silence him.
Fani-Kayode insisted that the Yoruba activist has committed no crime in agitating for Oduduwa Republic, adding that Igboho was instrumental in ending the food blockade that rocked the nation.
7. Why I Refused To Accept Inspector-General Of Police’s Invitation — Igboho
Yoruba activist, Sunday Igboho, has revealed why he did not accept the invitation of the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu.
The media aide to Igboho, Olayomi Koiki, in a statement released on Thursday noted that a letter was forwarded to his boss through a courier service and another with about 15 police officers.
He noted that the letter was not received by Igboho’s security operatives due to safety reasons as such a letter had purportedly led to the death of Nigerian journalist, Dele Giwa.
8. Zamfara: Matawalle Set To Dump PDP For APC
Fresh indications have emerged of a plot by Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Recall that the ruling APC had on Thursday extended its membership registration and revalidation exercise for another two weeks.
There have been talks about the planned defection of Matawalle following the judgment of the Supreme Court on the crisis that trailed the primaries of APC in Zamfara.
A former governor of Zamfara State, Senator Ahmed Sani Yarima, had stated last year that plans are on for Matawalle to join the ruling party.
9. Nigerians In London Protest, Tell Buhari To Return To Abuja (Video)
Some Nigerians in the UK on Friday took it upon themselves to demand President Muhammadu Buhari be made to return to Abuja immediately.
The people who stormed Abuja house located at number 2, Campden Hill, Kensington, London demanding for President Muhammadu Buhari’s repatriation.
A key face in the group, who is also a former presidential aide during the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri said in the video that he is proud of Nigeria as a country but he is not proud of the country’s leaders.
10. Premier League: Iheanacho Wins Player Of The Month Award
Nigerian International and Leicester City striker, Kelechi Iheanacho has been named as the Premier League player of the month award for March.
He beat the likes of Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane, Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez and Manchester United’s Luke Shaw to the award.
The striker scored five goals in three games for his club in March, including the equalizer against Brighton & Hove Albion, a stunning volley away at Burnley, which was in contention for the Budweiser Goal of the Month award, and a hat-trick in City’s 5-0 win against Sheffield United at King Power Stadium.