Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today Tuesday, 1st June 2021
1. Ex-Enugu High Court Judge, Justice Nnaji Killed By Unknown Gunmen
A former Judge of the Enugu State High Court, Justice Stanley Nnaji, has been shot dead by unknown gunmen.
The gunmen in a video shared on social media platforms show how the former judge was dragged out of his car by three assailants and shot three times.
Justice Nnaji was a Judge of the Enugu State High Court until he was dismissed following his role in the removal of Governor Chris Ngige, the then Governor of Anambra State in 2007 via a questionable ex-parte order.
2. Insecurity: Ezekwesili Hits Buhari, Makes Fresh Demand
Former Minister of Education and co-convener of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement, Oby Ezekwesili has expressed concerns about the growing waves of attacks in the southeast.
She also lamented the increasing wave of general insecurity across the country, calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to sit up and take action.
Ezekwesili in a series of tweets on Monday morning also blamed the security agencies for the deplorable state of security across the nation.
She noted that the government and security agencies must change strategies in order to resolve the growing challenges.
3. Uzodinma Says Gulak’s Killing Was Political, Denies Attack On His Convoy
Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State has claimed that the assassination of a former political aide to Goodluck Jonathan, Ahmed Gulak, as ‘Political’.
Naija News had reported how Gulak was killed in the early hours of Sunday shortly after he left his hotel and was said to heading to the Sam Mbakwe airport to connect with a flight back to his destination.
Speaking to newsmen on Monday, Uzodinma described Gulak as a close friend and someone dear to him.
Meanwhile, the Imo State governor also dismissed reports that his convoy was never attacked.
Reports had emerged on Monday that Uzodinma on Sunday escaped death as his convoy came under heavy shooting by unknown gunmen.
Security operatives attached to the governor’s convoy allegedly engaged the unknown gunmen in a duel.
But the governor has now come out to deny those reports, stressing that those who killed Gulak had also wished he was attacked.
4. We Didn’t Shoot Sowore – Abuja Police
The Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) Police Command has denied shooting former presidential candidate and Sahara Reporters publisher Omoyele Sowore.
The Police in a statement on Monday in which it reacted to earlier reports that Sowore was shot by a security operative during a protest at the Unity Fountain in Abuja said nothing like that happened.
It will be recalled that Lawyer, Inibehe Effiong revealed that Sowore was shot on Monday by a female police officer at the Unity Fountain in Abuja.
Later, Sowore also confirmed that he was shot by a police operative in Abuja on Monday.
But the Police have described the report as fake.
The FCT Police spokesperson, ASP Mariam Yusuf made this known in a statement where she debunked the viral story that Sowore was shot.
5. Again, Gunmen Burn Imo Police Station
Unknown gunmen on Monday burnt the Amandugba Divisional Police Headquarters in the Isu Local Government Area of Imo State.
This is coming a week after gunmen razed police divisional headquarters in Atta, Izombe, Orji in the state and also magistrate’s and High Courts in Atta community in the Njaba LGA.
The attack on Amandugba police station brings the number of attack on divisional police headquarters in the state to four in less than one week.
It was disclosed that the hoodlums upon the arrival at the police facility threw inflammable substances at the facility and ignited the fire.
The development heightened the tension in the state as the people complied with the sit-at-home order declared by the Indigenous People of Biafra on Monday.
6. JAMB Extends UTME Registration Deadline For Some Candidates (See Those Affected)
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has extended the 2021 UTME registration deadline for candidates unable to genuinely complete their registration within the earlier stipulated time.
JAMB in a statement by its head of information and protocol, Dr. Fabian Benjamin said a two weeks extension has been granted to those unable to complete their registration for the 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The statement said such candidates have between May 31 and June 15 to complete their registration if they were not able to by last Saturday because of NIN verification issues using a new guideline.
The registration for this year’s UTME exercise was initially expected to end on May 29, 2021.
But the JAMB statement said candidates affected by the NIN issue can now do so latest by June 15, 2021.
7. Sowore: Attempt To Change Govt Before Election Treasonable – Keyamo
The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, on Monday, noted that any plan to change government before the election is treasonable.
Keyamo stated this in a post on his Twitter account on Monday.
The minister made this claim while reacting to the shooting of former presidential candidate and publisher of SaharaReporters, Omoyele Sowore, who was injured by a tear gas canister fired by a police operative in Abuja.
There were reports that the activist was shot on Monday by a female police officer at the Unity Fountain in Abuja.
8. Gunmen Kill Immigration Provost In Imo
Unknown gunmen have killed a chief provost of the Nigerian Immigration Service in Imo, Okiemute Mrere.
It was gathered that Mrere was killed on Saturday night on Owerri- Port Harcourt Road in Owerri, while remains were discovered in a bush on Sunday morning.
The immigration officer was riding an Immigration Hilux van when he was attacked by the gunmen and shot at close range.
A further report disclosed that the assailant did not take any value from the van and his service pistol was found on him when his body was discovered the next day.
The Immigration Hilux van when discovered was riddled with bullets.
9. Ayade Sacks Four Commissioners, Five Other Aides
Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State has sacked four of his commissioners, and five other aides.
Naija News understands that Ayade relieved the commissioners of their appointment after they refused to join him in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement on Monday signed by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Christian Ita, the governor directed that all those affected should return government property in their possession with immediate effect.
10. Gulak: IPOB Replies Police, Insist ESN Not Responsible For Assassination
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has rejected claims by the Imo State Police Command that its members are responsible for the assassination of Ahmed Gulak.
IPOB insisted that it has nothing in common with Gulak and its members are not killers, hence couldn’t have been responsible for the killing of the northern politician.
Naija News recalls some gunmen attacked and killed Gulak, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday while he on his way to Sam Mbakwe Airport in Owerri, Imo State.
After the gruesome murder, the Imo Police Command on Sunday night said a combined team of police operatives from different units have successfully eliminated suspected assailants responsible for the killing of Gulak.
The statement by Bala Elkana also identified those that killed Gulak as IPOB/ESN operatives.
However, IPOB in a reaction by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful has distanced the organization and its security arm, ESN from the murder.
It alleged that those trying to pin the murder on IPOB/ESN are only trying to cause a rift between Igbos and Northerners in order to justify the deployment of security operatives to the southeast.
That’s the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.
The article was originally published on Nigeria News