Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today Saturday, 12th June 2021.
President Muhammadu Buhari has said those accusing him of ‘double standards’ are being unfair to him.
Speaking in an interview with NTA on Friday, the president debunked insinuations that he is sparing bandits and terrorists in Nigeria are being unfair.
According to him, he is also treating bandits and insurgents in the language they understand.
He stated that he does not pamper bandits in the north and clamp down on insurrectionists in the South-East.
The Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP, has released detailed information on how the leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, was eliminated.
There were claims that the Boko Haram leader was killed on May 19, 2021, by the Abu Musab Albarnawi-led ISWAP.
The group in an internal message described Shekau as “the leader of disobedience and corruption” and said his fighters rejoiced over his death.
He said the former terrorist leader, who took over after the death of Boko Haram founder, Mohammed Yusuf in 2009, was apprehended “in the most humiliating manner.”
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has condemned the stands of the US and UK governments as well as the European Union (EU) on the decision by the federal government to suspend Twitter operations in Nigeria.
It will be recalled that after the federal government last Friday announced the Twitter suspension, the US, UK, and EU envoys told the government to reverse the ban as it is an infringement on the fundamental human rights of the citizens.
However, making his views known on Friday, 11th June when he appeared on an NTA interview programme, ‘Good Morning Nigeria’, the Minister slammed the foreign countries, noting that they have no genuine interest in the welfare of Nigeria as a country but are only after the economic interests of their own nation.
Describing them as hypocrites, Mohammed said both the EU and the UK were already working on regulating social media in their respective countries but accuse the Nigerian government of suppressing free speech.
Unknown gunmen suspected to be kidnappers on Thursday night stormed Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic, Zaria in Kaduna State, abducted students and lecturers.
Reports reaching Naija News at the moment revealed that the gunmen invaded the school situated along the Zaria-Kaduna Expressway in the late hour of yesterday.
“The gunmen attacked the school last night. Unspecified numbers of students and lecturers were said to have been abducted,” said a resident who spoke on the attack to newsmen this morning.
Naija News learnt that a student was shot at while many others sustained varying degrees of injuries during the attack.
Newsmen from across the nation were on Thursday prevented from covering the high-profile meeting on the “state of the nation” convened by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The meeting which was originally meant to be held in secret was revealed by Naija News on Wednesday.
Details of the meeting were leaked in a letter forwarded to the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba.
The letter disclosed that the aim of the meeting is to discuss issues such as national unity, security, peace, integration, economic revitalisation, and development.
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, has reportedly met with Major-Generals, Air Vce Marshals and the Rear Admirals who are members of the Regular Course 36.
Recall that Muhammadu Buhari had skipped 29 Major-Generals and appointed Farouk Yahaya as the new Chief of Army Staff.
Naija News gathered that members of the Regular Course 36 are senior to Major General Farouk Yahaya who is a member of Regular Course 37.
It was gathered that the meeting was convened with a view to tactically easing out no fewer than 70 Major General, AVMs and rear admirals out of the service.
The Senate President of Nigeria, Ahmad Lawan has reacted to the decision of the federal government to ban the micro-blogging site, Twitter.
The Senate President in his reaction, called for an amicable resolution to the current face-off between the government and the social media platform.
Lawan in his submission stated that it has become clear that Nigeria needs Twitter and Twitter needs Nigeria, adding that he believes all parties have learnt their lessons.
It will be recalled that the federal government last week through the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, announced an indefinite suspension of the activities of Twitter in Nigeria, accusing the social media platform of undermining the nation’s sovereignty as well as efforts at tackling insecurity by its actions.
The Presidency has denied reports that President Muhammadu Buhari was referring to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu when he referenced Lagos State while speaking on the future of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
During an interview with Arise TV, Buhari had said nobody has the power to decide for the party on zoning.
He said: “The hope of this administration is to see APC last beyond it. Therefore, we should allow the party to decide. You cannot sit there in Lagos, for instance, and decide on the fate of APC on zoning. The restructuring of the party has begun from the bottom to the top with the membership card registration. Every member of the party must be involved.”
But clarifying the comment in a statement on Thursday night, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garaba Shehu, said: “The Presidency wishes to distance President Buhari from a malicious campaign aiming to drive a wedge between him and a staunch ally, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Balarabe Shehu Ilelah as the new Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, announced the appointment in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday.
Naija News reports that this was made known by Segun Adeyemi, Special Assistant To The President (Media), Office of the Minister of Information and Culture.
Mr. Ilelah’s appointment is for a tenure of five years in the first instance.
The new NBC DG would take over from Prof. Armstrong Idachaba who headed the commission in an acting capacity.
The United States Mission to Nigeria on Friday warned its citizens in the country to avoid the June 12, 2021 protests which will take place on Saturday.
Naija News reports that the US made this known in an advisory titled, ‘Demonstration Alert: US Mission Nigeria (June 11, 2021) – Nationwide Protests on Democracy Day.’
The embassy advised American citizens to keep a low profile and avoid the areas where the protests will hold.
According to the Mission, it is likely that the protests will take place at the Unity Fountain, Abuja; and Lekki tollgate plaza and Gani Fawehinmi Park in Lagos.
That’s the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.
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