10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers Wednesday morning, February 19, 2020

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

1. Buhari vows to secure release of Leah Sharibu, other Boko Haram captives

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday reiterated the commitment of his administration to ensure the release of all persons currently in the captivity of terrorists across the country and beyond. The President stated this in a message he personally signed to mark the second anniversary of the abduction of 107 students of Government Girls’ Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State. The girls were abducted from their hostel by Boko Haram fighters on February 18, 2018.However, all the students, with the exception of Leah Sharibu, were released a few weeks later by the terrorists. Read more

2. Corruption more deadly than cancer, Ebola – Magu

The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, said on Tuesday corruption is more deadly than cancer, the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), coronavirus and other major diseases ravaging the world.

He also said the Commission arrested about 500 suspected internet fraudsters within six months. Magu, who disclosed this during the Passing Out Parade for the EFCC Detective Inspectors Course 5 at the Nigerian Defence Academy Parade Ground, Afaka, Kaduna, said the Commission secured 1,281 convictions EFCC between January 1 and December 31, 2019. Read more

3. Zamfara Assembly to probe Yari over alleged N2bn contract scam

The Zamfara State House of Assembly on Tuesday set up an ad hoc committee to probe the alleged N2billion contract scam levelled against the immediate past governor of the state, Abdulaziz Yari. The government claimed it had discovered a massive fraud in the contract for the construction of a new Government House awarded by Yari’s administration. Read more

4. Why Buhari still retains military chiefs – Presidency

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, on Tuesday told those demanding the sack of the service chiefs that the time is not ripe for such a move. He said there were processes that should be followed before President Muhammadu Buhari would take the decision to sack heads of security agencies, stressing that “at the right time, those processes would be followed.” Mustapha, who stated these during the public presentation of a book titled: “CAN, Religion and Power in Nigeria” at the National Christian Centre, the Federal Government is working hard to rid the country of terrorism, banditry and other criminalities. Read more

5. Key suspect in alleged N2.5bn Digital Switchover fraud dies

The key suspect in the alleged N2.5billion Digital Switch-Over fraud, Lucky Omoluwa, is dead. Omoluwa, who was the Chairman of Pinnacle Communications Limited, died at the National Hospital, Abuja, on Tuesday. He was an associate of the suspended Director-General of the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, Modibbo Kawu. Kawu was suspended by President Muhammadu Buhari last week over his arraignment by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), who had accused him of complicity in the DSO fraud. Read more

Read also: 10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers Tuesday morning, February 18, 2020

6. EFCC re-arraigns 6 public officers over alleged N64.6bn pension fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday re-arraigned six public officials over their alleged involvement in a police pension scam to the tune of N64. 6 billion at the FCT High Court, Maitama. Those re-arraigned by the EFCC were Atiku Abubakar Kigo, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, Mrs. Veronica Ulonma Onyegbulam, Sani Habila Zira, Mrs. Uzoma Cryril Attang and Christian Madubuke. Read more

7. Results of mock-UTME will be ready in 24 hours – JAMB

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has said the results of the mock Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) held on Tuesday would be ready within 24 hours. About 350,000 candidates out of the over 2.1 million that registered for 2020 UTME wrote the test across various Computer- Based Test centres (CBT) nationwide. The JAMB’S Head of Media and Information, Dr Fabian Benjamin, told journalists on Tuesday night that the Board was looking at a few cases recorded during the examination. Read more

8. Senate proposes bill it hopes will check brain drain in Nigeria

The Senate on Tuesday moved to check the rising emigration of medical and health professionals from Nigeria to developed countries when it considered a bill seeking to establish the Federal University of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Abeokuta. Sponsor of the bill, Senator Ibikunle Amosun (APC – Ogun Central), in his lead debate said that the establishment of specialized medical universities have become very important in the country as there are high demands for medical and health professionals in Nigeria. Read more

9. NEW MINIMUM WAGE: No agreement reached yet with govt on consequential adjustment —NLC

The Nigerian Labour Congress, (NLC) Yobe State Council has revealed that no agreement has been reached with the state government on consequential adjustment for Grade level 07 to 14 in the civil service. This was revealed on Tuesday in a statement issued by the Acting Secretary of the State Council, Comrade Yusuf Alhaji Isah who informed that senior civil servants would not have their salaries increased in February following a meeting with the government which ended in a deadlock. Read more

10. OMOKRI TO BUHARI: Show you are in charge, sack Monguno or Abba Kyari

Reno Omokri, a former aide to ex-President, Goodluck Jonathan, has charged President Muhammadu Buhari to prove he’s in charge of his government by either sacking his Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari or the National Security Adviser, NSA, Major Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd). The lawyer and author made the call in a post on his official Twitter page on Tuesday while reacting to the feud between the pair after the NSA, in a leaked memo, accused the CoS to the President, of unwarranted “meddlesomeness” on matters of national security. Read more

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