10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers Thursday morning, December 26, 2019

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

1. Stop branding people as cabals, Shehu tells Nigerians

The Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu has again commented on the issue of cabals controlling the government. He described those labelled as cabals as respectable persons and advised Nigerians to stop profiling people negatively as cabals because they choose to serve the nation. According to Shehu it was not true that cabals decide the decision of the president. He stated this when he appeared as a guest on Channels Television’s programme, Politics Today on Wednesday. Read more

2. I have evidence of plans for Buhari’s third term agenda —Falana

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has insisted that President Muhammadu Buhari has a third term agenda, which he says kicked off in September. Ripples Nigeria had reported that presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, accused Falana of spreading fake news when he claimed that there were plans for the president to get another term. Shehu had also alleged that Falana was seeking personal media attention by spreading such claims. Responding, the lawyer defended his claims, insisting that the presidency was doing nothing to curb those campaigning for another term for Buhari. Read more

3. Nigerian govt must guarantee Sowore’s safety —US lawmakers  

United States lawmakers have reacted to the release of the convener of #RevolutionNow, Omoyele Sowore from custody of the Department of State Services (DSS). They are Bob Menendez, a ranking member of the U. S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and another senator, Cory Booker. Menendez, reacting via his verified twitter handle, said he was gratified to hear of Sowore’s release, added that he was hopeful Nigeria’s justice system would run a transparent and credible legal process. Read more

4. I will use Nigeria’s resources judiciously —Buhari

President Buhari said on Wednesday the country’s resources would be judiciously used for the benefit of all. He stated this when he received the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello, the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), and residents of the FCT who paid him Christmas homage at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Read more

5. I wonder why Buhari detained Dasuki but left Emefiele ―Sule Lamido

Former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, has said that the release of the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, should not be a call for celebration but that of reflection and circumspection. Dasuki was released following the directive of the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, on Tuesday.

Dasuki, a retired Nigerian Army colonel, was arrested a few months after leaving office in May 2015 over an alleged $2.1bn fraud. While analyzing the issue, Lamido observed that President Muhammadu Buhari detained Dasuki for four years but retained Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, who released the money. Read more

Read also: 10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers Wednesday morning, December 25, 2019

6. I have no grudge against Buhari – Dasuki

A former National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), said on Wednesday he has no grudge against President Muhammadu Buhari despite his incarceration for four years over alleged involvement in arms procurement scam.

Dasuki, who is standing trial on two courts for alleged corruption and illegal possession of firearms, was arrested in December 2015 by the Department of State Services (DSS). The ex-NSA was granted bail twice by the Federal High Court, Abuja, and on those periods the secret police refused to release him over a damning security report against him. Read more

7. ‘Four cows and ten bags of rice’; Oshiomhole’s mum rejects Obaseki’s Christmas gifts

The mother of the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole has turned down Christmas gifts from the Edo State Government. Crusoe Osage, the Special Adviser to Edo State Governor on Media and Communications, who disclosed this in a statement in Benin on Wednesday, said the conventional Christmas presents reserved for former governors of the state that were sent to Oshiomhole were rejected. According to him, messengers from the state government were dispatched to deliver the gifts on Christmas eve. Read more

8. Why would anyone want to harm a peaceful man? Ortom reacts to attack on Jonathan’s home

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on Wednesday, described the attack on the country home of former President Goodluck Jonathan as a national shame. Unknown gunmen had on Tuesday attacked the country home of the ex-president in Otuoke, Bayelsa State.

One of the soldiers guarding the building was shot dead by the marauders. The governor in a statement issued in Makurdi by his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, condemned the attack and wondered why armed men would want to harm a peace-loving man and former president of the country. Read more

9. Jigawa govt commences payment of new minimum wage

The Jigawa State government has announced the commencement of payment of the new minimum wage to its workers, with reports revealing that some civil servants in the state have received bank alerts of their December salary reflecting the new minimum wage.

This was revealed in a statement issued by the state government on Tuesday in the capital Dutse by the Head of the State Civil Service (HoS), Alhaji Hussaini Kila, who also used the opportunity to call on workers to reciprocate the gesture through dedication to their duties. The state governor, Muhammad Badaru had on Dec. 4, promised to implement the N30,000 minimum wage approved by the Federal Government to its workers in December. Read more

10. Boko Haram strikes Chibok again, kills 6, abducts two women

The dreaded Boko Haram insurgents on Tuesday night attacked Kwaranglum village in the Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State, killing six persons and abducting two women.

According to reports, the insurgents were also said to have injured three other persons in the village located a few kilometres from Chibok. Chibok was the epicentre of the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls on April 14, 2014. This was disclosed by the Borno State Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation, Mr Nuhu Clark, an indigene of the area, who informed Governor Babagana Zulum of the attack on Wednesday. Read more

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