Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top newspapers headlines in Nigeria for today, Tuesday, 5th April 2022
1. Insecurity: We’re Not Overwhelmed – FG Replies Obasanjo
The Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government has stated that it was not overwhelmed by the security challenges in the country.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, made this known on Monday during a Television Continental (TVC) programme while reacting to a statement credited to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Naija News reports that Obasanjo on Saturday said the various security challenges in the country have overwhelmed the Buhari government, adding that citizens are not safe to travel by road, airport and train.
He stated that Nigerians are no longer safe anywhere in the country following the invasion of the Kaduna International Airport and the terror attack on a Kaduna-Abuja bound train.
Reacting, Mohammed stated that the former Nigerian leader was wrong to have said the federal government was overwhelmed by rising insecurity in the nation.
The minister said the military has recorded a string of successes against Boko Haram in the North East and has also curtailed their nefarious activities in the region.
2. Angry Youths Block Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Stage Protest On Nigeria’s Future
A group of youths on Monday staged a protest telling politicians to explain plans for Nigeria’s future whilst, blocking part of the Lagos-Ibadan highway.
In the video that has surfaced online, the youths could be seen burning tyres on the road causing huge traffic for motorists on the highway.
They held banners and placards that read “Questions for politicians and Religious Leaders” and “There is no movement on a national level.”
It was gathered that the protest was staged near Berger bus stop, causing traffic gridlocks on adjoining routes.
3. IPOB: Soludo Declares End Of Monday Sit-At-Home In Anambra State
The Anambra State Governor, Professor Charles Soludo has declared an official end to the Monday sit-at-home order in Anambra State.
He made the announcement in a statement on Monday, 4th April 2022 where he promised that all areas of concern will be looked into.
The Governor added that the government is determined to go after criminals threatening the peace and development of the state.
Soludo also disclosed that a Peace and Reconciliation Committee with the mandate to look into and make recommendations on how to address challenges that led to the declaration of the sit-at-home would soon be constituted.
4. 2023: God Told Me Atiku Will Be Our Next President – Dino Melaye
Former Kogi Senator, Dino Melaye has claimed that God informed him that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar would succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain said that God called him thrice to tell him that Atiku would be the next president of the country.
He made this known on Monday during the submission of the nomination and expression of interest forms duly signed by Atiku at the PDP headquarters in Abuja.
Addressing PDP members during the submission, Melaye described Atiku as the only unifier of the country and the only presidential candidate Nigerians can trust.
5. 146 Abuja-Kaduna Train Passengers Unreachable – NRC
The Nigerian Railway Corporation on Monday disclosed that one hundred and forty-six passengers on the Abuja-Kaduna train are unreachable six days after terrorists attacked the train.
The Managing Director of NRC, Fidet Okhiria, revealed this in a statement released on Monday.
According to Okhiria, the number of safe passengers have increased to 186.
He noted that fifty-one contacts on the manifest are either switched off or unreachable since Tuesday morning.
Okhiria added that thirty-five phone numbers on the manifest are ringing, but no response from the other end.
The NRC managing director noted that sixty phone numbers on the manifest when called, responded non-existent.
He disclosed that twenty-two people have been reported missing by their relatives, while eight persons have been confirmed dead.
6. 2023: Wike Meets With IBB, Abdulsalami On Presidential Ambition
The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike on Monday visited a former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida and former head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar.
The presidential aspirant was accompanied by some Peoples Democratic Party Governors; Seyi Makinde,
Okezie Ikpeazu, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and former Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State.
Recall that Wike declared his intention to contest the presidential election in 2023 during his visit to Benue State.
The Deputy Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Governor Ikpeazu while addressing newsmen after the meeting said the delegation was in Minna to consult with the former Head of State ahead of the 2023 election.
7. Train Attack: Nobody Has The Right To Arrest Gumi – Northern Youths
The Arewa Youths Consultative Forum (AYCF) has spoken out in defense of controversial Islamic scholar, Sheik Ahmad Gumi after renewed calls for the cleric’s arrest.
Following the recent attack by bandit terrorists on the Abuja-Kaduna train last week, there have been renewed calls from certain quarters for Gumi to be arrested over his links and access to the bandits and their leaders.
But the AYCF president Yerima Shettima says the clergyman has done nothing wrong and no one has the right to arrest him.
He stated further that Gumi has done his best in trying to make the bandits drop their weapons but some people in government benefitting from the crisis have been sabotaging his efforts.
Shettima further accused some government officials of diverting funds meant to be used to procure weapons for security agents to fight terrorism.
8. Court Orders Govt To Pay Nnamdi Kanu’s Lawyer ₦5m
The Department of State Service (DSS) has been ordered by the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to pay the sum of ₦5 million to the lawyer of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Maxwell Opara.
Justice Zainab Abubakar in his ruling ordered the security agency to tender a written apology to Opara and also publish the same on a national daily.
This is coming after the lawyer filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit against the security agency.
He noted that he was subjected to degrading treatment when he paid a visit to the Nnamdi Kanu at the DSS detention facility in Abuja.
According to Opara, DSS during his visit directed him to a particular room within its facility for purposes of alleged bodily search, “wherein they forced him to remove his medicated eye-glasses, wedding ring, belt, jacket and shoes and accordingly left him shabbily dressed”.
He told the court that he was subjected to the humiliation of holding his trousers with his hands, wearing bathroom slippers meant for awaiting trial inmates and exposed to Air Conditioner inflicted cold for 3 hours.
9. NIN-SIM Linkage: FG Directs Telcos To Bar Outgoing Calls On Unlinked Lines
The Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government has commended Nigerians for complying with the NIN-SIM linkage, while also directing telecommunications companies to bar outgoing calls on unlinked lines from the 4th of April, 2022.
Naija News reports that this was made known in a statement signed by Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Director, Public Affairs, NCC and Kayode Adegoke, Head, Corporate Communications, NIMC.
The statement disclosed that the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, on behalf of the federal government, gave the directive to telcos.
Pantami commended Nigerians and Legal Residents for their support during the exercise to link National Identification Number (NIN) to the Subscriber Identification Module (SIM).
He disclosed that over 125 Million SIMs have had their NINs submitted for immediate linkage, verification and authentication, adding that the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has issued over 78 Million unique NINs till date.
Noting that the deadlines for the NIN-SIM linkage has been extended on multiple occasions to allow Nigerians to freely comply with the Policy, Pantami said the federal government also took into consideration the passionate appeals by several bodies – Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Civil Societies, Professional Bodies and a host of others – for the extension of the deadlines in the past.
10. Bandit Terrorists Kill Commissioner’s Son In Zamfara
Bandit terrorists have killed the son of the incumbent Commissioner of Security and Home Affairs in Zamfara, Ibrahim Mamman Tsafe.
It was gathered that the terrorists shot Tsafe’s son alongside three others during an attack on the headquarters of Tsafe local government area of the state, on Sunday night.
There are claims that terrorists fleeing from military operations are moving to some part of Tsafe local government to their new safe-havens.
Residents who spoke on the development with Daily Trust disclosed that the criminals dressed in military uniforms invaded the Shiyar Namada area close to the commissioner’s residence and opened fire on people.
Those are the top Nigerian newspapers headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.
This article was originally published on Nigeria News