10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers Tuesday morning, October 22, 2019

These 10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers will make your Tuesday morning, October 22, 2019.

1. EFCC re-opens Fayose’s N2.2bn fraud case

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday re-opened the N2.2 billion fraud case it brought against a former governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Peter Ayodele Fayose before the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos.

The anti-graft agency also presented the same witnesses it had earlier called to testify against the former governor.

2. INSECURITY: Arms purchase a major item on Buhari’s Russia agenda — Presidency

Nigeria is set to purchase weapons, including fighter helicopters, from Russia to enhance the ongoing fight against insurgency, banditry and other violent crimes across the country. This is according to Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, who made this disclosure while speaking with newsmen in Abuja on Monday.

3. Again, Lawan meets stakeholders over growing insecurity in the FCT

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, on Monday held another meeting to address the security challenges in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. A similar meeting was held last week at the office of the Senate President with top officials directly charged with the security of the FCT. Lawan explained that Monday’s meeting was to widen the scope of interaction and find solution to the security situation in the FCT.

4. Court reduces Sowore’s bail terms. Is political settlement in the offing?

Reprieve has finally come the way of the co-convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, Omoyele Sowore, as the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday reduced the bail conditions slammed on him and his lieutenant, Olawale Bakare. Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, who had earlier slammed an N100m bail bond on Sowore, reduced the bail terms to N50million, while that of Bakare was slashed from N50million to N20million. Sowore, a former presidential candidate and Bakare were arraigned on a seven-count charge of treasonable felony, cyberstalking, and money laundering.

5. KOGI: INEC fixes date for Melaye, Adeyemi faceoff

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed November 16, 2019, for the rerun election involving Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Smart Adeyemi of the All Progressives Congress (APC). This was announced in a statement issued on Monday by Festus Okoye, Chairman of INEC Information and Voter Committee. Okoye said the senate election would hold simultaneously with the Kogi governorship election.

Read also: 10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers Monday morning, October 21, 2019

6. AGF says Nigeria saves over N250bn from IPPIS as Senate rejects budget of N’Delta ministry

According to the Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, Nigeria has saved over N250 billion in 3 years due to the implementation of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). Idris who confirmed this during the budget defence before the Senate Committee on Finance, said the IPPIS is an Information Communications Technology (ICT) project of the Federal Government to ensure effectiveness and efficiency of payroll management by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). In a similar development, the Senate Committee on Niger Delta has rejected the N23 billion capital expenditure budgeted for the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs due to uncompleted projects in the region.

7. PENSION CONTRACT SCAM: EFCC to arraign Maina, son on Friday

A former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina and his son, Faisal Maina are to be arraigned before Justice Abang Okon of the Federal High Court, Abuja on Friday for various offences.

Though details of the charges were not yet clear as of Monday night, it is however believed that the anti-graft agency filed separate set of charges against Maina and his son.

8. Kogi Assembly lacks constitutional backing to impeach Achuba –Abaribe

The Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, declared on Monday that the Kogi State House of Assembly has no constitutional backing to impeach the state Deputy Governor, Mr. Simon Achuba. The Senator declared as “reprehensible” the deliberate denigration of the country’s constitution, for the Kogi State Assembly to go ahead and impeach Achuba.

9. Police rescue abducted Area Commander

A combined team of police operatives from the Zone 7 Police Command headquarters, Kaduna and Niger States, on Sunday night rescued the abducted Area Commander of Suleja Area Division, Musa Rambo. Rambo was abducted last Saturday by unknown gunmen along the Kaduna-Abuja road.

10. Tension in Adamawa, as rape case sparks debate over who should prosecute; Police or NSCDC?

There is brewing tension in Adamawa over alleged moves by the police to stop officials of Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) from prosecuting suspects involved in rape and other criminal cases. It was gathered that trouble started after officials of NSCDC in Mubi attempted to prosecute a suspected rapist who is said to be from an influential family. The influential family were said to be using the police and judiciary with the support of few lawyers in Mubi to stop the prosecution with the claim that NSCDC has no power to prosecute such case.

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