Top newspapers headlines in Nigeria for today, Monday, 30th May 2022
1. Buhari Returns To Abuja After Attending AU Meeting In Malabo,
Truetells Nigeria reports that Buhari alongside his wife, Aisha Buhari, and other government officials returned to the country on Saturday.
The Nigerian leader was in Malabo to participate in the African Union (AU) Extraordinary Session of Assembly of Heads of State and Government.
While the President was in the country, he attended two AU summits – the ‘Extraordinary Humanitarian Summit and Pledging Conference’, and the ‘Extraordinary Summit on Unconstitutional Changes of Government in Africa’.
During the summits, Buhari pledged to donate $3 million to the new humanitarian agency set up by the African Union (AU) and also endorsed the recommendation of setting up an African standby force against terrorism.
2. PDP National Chairman, Ayu Visits Tambuwal, Labels Him Hero Of National Convention
The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Iyorchia Ayu on Sunday visited Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal and showered praises on him for the role played in ensuring the success of the party’s special convention on Saturday which produced its 2023 presidential candidate.
The PDP chairman, as he shook hands and hugged Tambuwal upon arrival at his residence thanked him repeatedly and stated that the Governor is the hero of the convention.
It will be recalled as earlier reported by Truetells Nigeria that Tambuwal shortly before voting began during the PDP convention on Saturday, announced he was stepping down from the race for the party’s presidential ticket.
He also directed delegates at the convention who were supporting him to cast their votes for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
At the end of the voting, Atiku was able to fend off challenges from other aspirants to emerge as the PDP candidate for the 2023 presidential polls and many political watchers were of the opinion that the last-minute withdrawal of Tambuwal from the race contributed hugely to Atiku’s victory.
3. Top ISWAP Commander Surrenders To Nigerian Troops
A top Commander of the Islamic State of the West Africa Province (ISWAP), Musa Mani, has surrendered to the troops of the Nigerian Army.
Truetells Nigeria learned that Mani surrendered to the troops of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) following intensified joint operations on the fringes of the Lake Chad.
According to Counter Insurgency Expert, Zagazola Makama, the ISWAP commander surrendered to the troops in Damasak and Malam Fatori villages in the Lake Chad region.
He said Mani was the Commander of Hisbah Militant (civil police), who was in charge of supervising the activities of the insurgents with a view to ensuring right conduct.
The suspect, who hails from Diffa in Niger Republic, was also in charge of controlling logistics supplies, taxes and levies being paid by fishermen and farmers in the Lake Chad.
4. Gunmen Kidnap Prelate Of Methodist Church In Nigeria, Samuel Kanu
The prelate of the Methodist Church Nigeria (MCN), His Eminence Samuel Kanu has been kidnapped by unknown gunmen during an attack on Sunday.
It was gathered that other clerics including the Bishop of Owerri, Dennis Mark were also abducted by the gunmen.
According to information gathered by Naija News, the clergymen were kidnapped along the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway in Umunneochi LGA of Abia state.
The incident has been confirmed by the Abia police spokesperson, Geoffrey Ogbonna, The Cable reports.
5. Shina Peller Loses APC Senatorial Ticket To Fatai Buhari
A member of the House of Representatives representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Iwajowa/Kajola Federal Constituency in Oyo State, Shina Peller, has lost his bid to pick the Oyo North senatorial ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Naija News reports that Shina Peller, Nigerian entrepreneur, politician, and Industrialist, lost the APC ticket to Senator Fatai Buhari.
Buhari scored 570 votes against Peller’s five votes, ending the lawmaker’s four-year stint in the National Assembly.
Buhari is the incumbent senator representing Oyo North senatorial district.
Recall that Peller who was elected to the House in 2019 had declined to seek a second term in order to honour an agreement to rotate the seat in his constituency.
6. Atiku: Doyin Okupe Reveals How North Ganged Up Against Wike 24 Hours Before PDP Convention
A former PDP chieftain and Peter Obi’s Campaign Director, Doyin Okupe has revealed how former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other northern elites outsmarted Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.
Reacting in a post on Twitter to Atiku’s victory in the PDP presidential primary, Okupe, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, claimed that the winner of the main opposition party’s primary was concluded 24 hours before the convention.
He said the North had to come up with a strategy to defeat Nyesom Wike because he had gain ground across the country over other aspirants.
Okupe wrote, ”ATIKU’S VICTORY AND THE SUPREMACY OF THE NORTH. Atiku won the PDP presidential primaries on Saturday, the 28th of May 2023. But the assurance of the victory was concluded some 24hrs before the delegates elections.
7. Oyo 2023: Adelabu Officially Dumps APC, Reveals Next Line Of Action
The current political swing in Oyo State has seen 2023 gubernatorial aspirant, Adebayo Adelabu, renounced his membership in the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Adelabu ended speculations on Sunday after he officially announced that he has yielded to calls from his supporters to dump APC.
The former Deputy Governor (Operations) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said the broom party has been polluted and hijacked by some persons in the state.
Adelabu who was the gubernatorial candidate of APC in 2019 had participated in the party’s gubernatorial primary election on Friday but lost, Naija News understands.
He, however, refused to reveal his next political movement but promised to announce his decision in the next 48hours.
8. NDLEA Arrests Notorious Drug Kingpin In Ondo
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a notorious drug kingpin, Henry Chukwuneku Okamaru popularly known as Lawrence Ik Okamaru.
In a statement issued on Sunday by its spokesman, Femi Babfemi, the NDLEA said its operatives apprehended the drug lord in Ondo State after five months of evading arrest.
The anti-narcotic agency said Okamaru was declared wanted after he was linked to a 2000.6kg Cannabis Sativa seized in a concrete mixer truck in Adamawa State on December 2 2021.
It said Okamaru was, however, arrested after two suspects namely Matthew Donuwe and Friday Nmborgwu had earlier been arrested in connection to the seized drugs.
The agency added that the suspects had confessed that the concrete mixer truck was loaded with the illicit drug in Ogbese, Ondo state after which they travelled for two months on the road before arriving in Adamawa where they were eventually arrested.
According to the NDLEA, investigations revealed that Okamaru is one of the leaders of a cannabis cultivation cartel that operates in the Ondo-Ekiti axis of the country.
9. Train Attack: Terrorists Withdraw Threat To Kill Abducted Passengers, Issue New Ultimatum
Bandit terrorists who abducted passengers on the Abuja-Kaduna bound train have withdrawn their threat to kill the victims.
Recall that the gunmen had threatened to kill the captives if the Muhammadu Buhari-led government fails to meet their conditions.
The terrorists had issued a 7-day ultimatum for the government to release their children allegedly kept in a Yola detention facility.
However, in a new development, the terrorists on Saturday rescinded their earlier threat to stop feeding the victims and to execute them within seven days.
In a chat with Daily Post, Malam Tukur Mamu, spokesperson of popular Islami cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, said the gunmen had agreed to take care of the captives and provide them with medical first aid services.
Mamu said he got the assurance when he spoke with the terrorists through one of their leaders, Abu Barra, adding that it was as a result of ongoing engagement with the abductors.
He said the terrorists gave the federal government another two weeks, effective from Monday, 30th May, to release their children in exchange for the release of the victims.
10. Again EFCC Arrests Ex-Zamfara Governor, Yari Over Links With AGF Idris Alleged N80bn Fraud
Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested former Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari.
The politician, Truetells Nigeria understands was arrested on Sunday (today) over alleged links with the ongoing investigation of the suspended Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris.
The EFCC has been investigating the accountant-general for allegedly misappropriating N80 billion.
The AGF was arrested weeks ago in Kano State after he failed to respond to invitations by the anti-graft agency to answer questions over the allegation.
While the investigation is still on, the crime fighting commission apprehended Yari today, hours after he won the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC ticket for Zamfara West senatorial election holding next year.