10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers Sunday morning, February 16, 2020

These 10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers will make your Sunday morning.

1. IMO ELECTION: Supreme Court to hear Ihedioha’s case Tuesday

The Supreme Court has fixed Tuesday for hearing of the applications filed by a former governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha. The former governor had asked the apex court to review its January 14 judgement which declared Senator Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the duly elected governor of the state. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Ihedioha, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, as the winner of the March 9, 2019 governorship election in Imo State. Read more

2. Quit honourably for failing to stop Diri’s inauguration as Bayelsa governor, Wike tells Oshiomhole

River State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Saturday asked the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, to resign honorably over his inability to stop Friday’s inauguration of Douye Diri as Bayelsa State governor. Wike, who addressed the media in Port Harcourt, said the APC would never succeed in wrestling political power from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers. Read more

3. INSECURITY: Politicians planning protest against service chiefs – Presidency

The Presidency said on Saturday politicians and other beneficiaries of the Boko Haram terror campaign against the country are mobilising Nigerians to protest against service chiefs on Monday. The service chiefs had come under scathing criticism from Nigerians over their perceived poor response to growing insecurity in the country. The National Assembly had also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to dispense with the service of the military top-brass over the same matter, saying they have run out of ideas and overstayed their welcome in office. Read more

4. Buhari labels el-Rufai’s foray into public service as ‘accidental’

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday described Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai’s entry into public service as accidental.President Buhari, who stated this while felicitating with the governor on his 60th birthday, said el-Rufai has made deliberate, well thought out and long-lasting contributions to public service. In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President also highlighted the governor’s diligent contributions to his victory in the 2015 presidential election. Read more

5. Boko Haram mocks Buhari, threatens minister, journalists

The head of the Boko Haram terrorist group, Abubakar Shekau in a latest nine minutes video has mocked the Nigeria president, Muhammadu Buhari, and threatened the minister of communication and digital economy, Isa Pantami as well as journalists. The leader of the sect who spoke in the Hausa language, made reference to Buhari’s condolence visit on Wednesday over Sunday’s attack in Auno, near Maiduguri that led to the death of over 30 travellers. Read more

Read also: 10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers Saturday morning

6. EFCC returns recovered N200m looted funds to Kwara State

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has returned the sum of N200 million it recovered from officials of past administration in Kwara State to the state government. This is coming after an initial N100 million was returned to the state government in 2019 by the EFCC also from looted funds. This was disclosed by Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, the state governor in a tweet on Friday on his Twitter handle @RealAARahman, thanking the EFCC for the gesture and adding that the money will be used in rebuilding the state. Read more

7. Taraba APC threatens legal action against Gov Ishaku over continued stay in Abuja

For staying in Abuja for the past 54 days, the Taraba State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has threatened to explore legal options against the state Governor, Darius Ishaku. The party, also said it would explore options to compel the governor to return to the state if the state House of Assembly fails to comply with necessary constitutional provisions. The state Chairman of the party, Mr. Ibrahim El-Sudi; and the APC governorship candidate in the 2019 elections, Prof. Muhammad Yahaya stated this at a joint press conference in Jalingo. Read more

8. Govt mulls PPP for tolling of Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

The Federal Government on Friday unveiled the modalities for the restoration of toll gates to the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. A Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement is currently being contemplated for tolling the interstate route just as preparations are in top gear to weigh goods carried by trucks and tankers that ply the route. Funsho Adebiyi, Director of Highways, Federal Ministry of Works, disclosed that the Federal Government might resort to a PPP in operating the tollgates while touring road projects alongside the Chairman Senate Committee on Works, Adamu Aliero, on Friday. Read more

9. Fire destroys two buildings in Nasarawa college

An inferno caused by bush burning on Saturday razed down two blocks of lecture halls at the Nasarawa State College of Agriculture, Lafia. The Provost of the college, Dr. Musa Maikeffi, confirmed the incident to journalists in Lafia. The provost said the fire outbreak was caused by bush burning and described it as a huge setback to the college. According to him, the fire also destroyed a forest museum and fisheries belonging to the school’s Faculty of Agriculture at the Lafia campus. Read more

10. Police confirm arrest of one suspected mastermind of Katsina attacks

The Katsina State Police Command on Saturday evening confirmed the arrest of a middle-aged man in connection with the Friday bandits’ attacks on two Katsina villages where 30 people were killed. The hoodlums also burnt several houses and animals during the attacks on Tsauwa and Dankar villages in Batsari local government area of the state. The command spokesman, Gambo Isah, who confirmed the suspect’s arrest, said nine motorcycles suspected to belong to the bandits were recovered by the army. Read more

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