Favour WinnerHere are top 20 headlines in Nigerian newspapers today, 4th October 2024 on business and economy, politics, sports and entertainment among others.
1. NNPCL Pledges 8 Million Barrels Monthly For $8.8bn Debt
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has pledged 272,500 barrels per day of crude oil totalling 8.17 million barrels of crude oil to be used for different loan deals by the national oil firm on a monthly basis.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThis is revealed in an analysis of a report by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and the NNPCL’s financial statements.
2. Naira-for-crude Deal yet to Begin Despite Deadline
Indications have shown that the supply of crude oil in naira by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery which should have started on October 1, 2024, is yet to begin as of Thursday, October 3.
Officials at the Dangote Refinery and those at the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Federal Ministry of Finance, and NNPCL, among others, have remained mute on the naira-for-crude deal between NNPC and Dangote.
3. Naira Rebounds As Dollar Supply Surges To $450.39m
The Nigerian naira recorded appreciation for the first time in the week’s trading at the official segment of the foreign exchange market.
The naira exchanged N1659.26 against dollar on Thursday, 3 October, according to the Nigeria Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM) data published on the FMDQ Securities and Exchange platform. Read more
4. 180 Nigerians Stranded in Libya Returns Home
About 180 Nigerians who were stranded in Libya returned home on Wednesday evening.
The return which was facilitated by a joint effort between the International Organization for Migration and the National Emergency Management Agency, Lagos Territorial Office has marked a significant effort to provide humanitarian assistance to those in need.
5. Fubara Insists on LG poll Despite Protests From Wike Loyalists
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, on Thursday, insisted that the state’s local government election scheduled for Saturday, October 5, will proceed, despite protests by allies of his predecessor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The governor warned against any attempts to disrupt the electoral process either by groups or individuals, adding that any action aimed at creating confusion or instability in the state will not be tolerated.
6. Falana Having Anything to do with Bobrisky’s Bribery
Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, has denied having anything to do with popular crossdresser, Idris Okuneye also known as Bobrisky over the alleged bribing of prison officials to serve his prison sentence outside the prison facility.
In viral video posted by blogger, Martins Otse known as VeryDarkMan, he accused some unnamed Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), officers of collecting the sum of N15 million from Bobrisky to drop money laundering charges against him and also alleged that Falana sought a presidential pardon for Bobrisky in exchange for N10 million. However, while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, on Thursday, Falana denied ever meeting Bobrisky or speaking to him.
READ ALSO: Nigerian Govt Suspends 4 Prison Officers Over Bobrisky’s N15m Bribe Allegations
7. Minimum Wage: Tension rises as FG Makes Selective Payment
Tension has risen among federal public workers as it appears that the Federal Government made selective payment of the N70,000 new minimum wage
According to some staff of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), who haven’t seen any addition to their salaries, this is the height of insensitivity on the part of the government whose policies brought hardship and hunger.
8. High School Fees Stop many Bauchi Children from Resumption
Thousands of school-age children in Bauchi State are struggling to resume classes even as the new academic session begins due to a significant increase in school fees.
The hike in school fees has made it difficult for parents to continue to send their children to school, sparking concerns among education stakeholders, parents, and policymakers, who warn of the dire consequences for the state and country’s future if nothing is done to get the children back to school.
9. Polytechnic Lecturers Issues 15- day Ultimatum over Unresolved Demands
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has issued a 15-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to address its various demands.
This ultimatum was issued by ASUP’s National President, Mr Shammah Kpanja, while addressing newsmen at the end of its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Thursday in Abuja.
10. Shogbesan, Abbey set for Bout Overseas
Two Nigerian pugilists, Sikiru “Omo Iya Eleja” Shogbesan and Mary Aina Abbey, are set to represent the country in separate fights overseas on October 19.
Shogbesan (17-3-1, 9 KOs) will make his international debut against Belgium’s Francesco Patera (29-5-0, 11 KOs) in a lightweight clash at Hall Omnisport De La Prealle in Herstal, Liege, Belgium while Nigerian police officer Abbey (12-1-0, 10 KOs) will challenge Britain’s Nicola Hopewell (5-1-0, 1 KO) for the Commonwealth flyweight title at Skate Central in Sheffield, Yorkshire, UK.
11. Terrorist Kingpin Turji in State of Panic – CDS
Following the renewed military onslaught on terrorists in the North West, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, has said the wanted terrorist kingpin, Bello Turji, is in a state of panic.
He disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sideline of NAN’s maiden Annual International Lecture on Thursday in Abuja.
12. More Bodies Recovered in Niger Boat mishap
More bodies are reportedly being recovered from the Gbajibo River, Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State, after a wooden boat carrying 300 passengers capsized, on Tuesday night.
National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, together with the Nigeria state’s National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and local divers have recovered 70 bodies, rescued 150 persons while the search for the remaining missing passengers was still ongoing.
13. Nigerian varsities on the Verge of Shutting down, ASUU warns
President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke has warned that most Nigerian universities are on the verge of shutting down over the unbearable cost of electricity.
He said this during the opening of a two-day national conference convened by ASUU in Abuja with the theme: “Nigeria in a State of General Crisis: The Search for a New Path to Development,” on Thursday where he stated that while public universities receive N15m monthly from the federal government as running costs, the electricity bills of some universities run between N200m to N300m monthly.
14. Court Bars VIO from Stopping, Impounding, Confiscating vehicles
An order has been issued by a Federal High Court Abuja, barring the Directorate of Road Traffic Services (otherwise known as VIO) from further stopping vehicles on the road, impounding or confiscating vehicles, and imposing fines on motorists.
This order was issued by Justice Evelyn Maha in a judgment on a fundamental rights enforcement suit: FHC/ABJ/CS/1695/2023 filed by a human rights activist and public interest attorney, Abubakar Marshal.
15. EFCC Receives Commendation for Renewed Battle
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has received commendation over renewed commitment in the fight against corruption.
EFCC arrested and began investigating former Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku, and filed fresh charges against former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, and others.
16. Lawmaker, NGO Give Relief to Ondo Residents
Dr Rhoda Makinde Initiative (DROMI), and Abiola Makinde, lawmaker representing Ondo in the House of Representatives, have given relief to residents at an open market.
Items on display at the free market were rice, yam, beans, garri, spaghetti, noodles, raw cow and goat meats, plantains, vegetables, onions, tomatoes, pepper, vegetable oil, palm oil, soaps, cloth, pressing iron, blender, and others. According to beneficiaries, they got food items worth over N25,000.
17. Tinubu Submits 4 Tax Reform Bills to House of Reps
President Bola Tinubu has submitted four tax reform bills to the House of Representatives for consideration and quick passage.
In a letter read at plenary by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen on Thursday, the president said the bills were designed in line with the objectives of his administration.
18. Three #EndBadGovernance Protesters Released from Prison
After weeks of arduous efforts to meet the bail conditions imposed on them by the trial court, three of the 10 persons charged with treason over the August #EndBadGovernance protest have been released from detention.
The trio, Michael Adaramoye aka Lenin, Mosiu Sadiq, and Opaluwa Eleojo, were released on Thursday from the Nigerian Correctional Centre in Kuje, Abuja, after fulfilling their bail conditions and completing all necessary paperwork.
19. Lagos Commissioner Uploads Video Showing Environmental Officers Dehumanizing suspected offenders
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources in Lagos State, Tokunbo Wahab, has uploaded a video on his X (formerly Twitter) page where officers of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps were seen physically assaulting some suspected offenders.
The commissioner had captioned the video and some pictures while posting on his X page, “In a continued effort to curb environmental violations in the state, the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps @LAGESCOfficial (KAI), in collaboration with the Lagos Neighborhood Watch, Environmental Health Officers, and the Lagos State Environmental Taskforce team, yesterday, raided Obalende and environ.”
20. Insecurity Threatening Northerners’ Existence, ACF warns
Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT), Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Alhaji Bashir Muhammad Dalhatu, has warned that the current situation of insecurity in the North is threatening the existence of the northerners.
He gave this warning yesterday when he led a delegation to visit and sympathise with the people of Borno State over the recent Maiduguri flood disaster. According to him, the North was in very dire circumstance from all aspects of life following the insurgency in the North East, banditry in the North West, and other social vices and ills in the North Central.
