Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Friday, 9th April, 2021

Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today Friday, 9th April 2021

1. Aisha Buhari Has Shut Down Those Criticizing The Office Of The First Lady – Tinubu

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has described First Lady Aisha Buhari as someone who has brought dignity to the office of the First Lady in Nigeria.

He added that Aisha Buhari as the first lady, has brought unity and development to Nigeria.

Tinubu made the submission on Thursday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja in his capacity as the chairman of the occasion during the public presentation of the First Lady’s biography titled “Aisha Buhari: Being different.”

2. DSS Warned Uzodinma, Police, Three Times Before Attacks On Imo Occured – Ex-Director

A former Assistant Director with the Department of State Services (DSS), Dennis Amachree, has disclosed how the secret police warned the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma multiple times about pending attacks in the state.

Amachree added that the DSS also alerted the Police in the state about the pending attacks but both the Governor and the Police failed to act on the intelligence information until the attacks were carried out on Monday.

The former DSS Assistant Director made this known on Thursday when he featured on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme.

He disclosed that the DSS had passed actionable intelligence to the police on the possibility of the attacks but the warning was discarded by the Police authorities in the state.

3. Troops Eliminate Two ISWAP Leaders

Top leaders of the Islamic State of West Africa Province, ISWAP and some of their followers have been killed by the Nigerian Army in Borno.

Two commanders of the terrorist group identified as Amir Abu-Rabi and Mohamed Likita and their bodyguards and fighters, were killed during the attack.

It was gathered that Abu-Rabi coordinated tax collection on behalf of ISWAP in the Lake Chad axis, while Likita was among controllers coordinating attacks on military formations.

The terrorists were killed in an aerial assault targeted at three major ISWAP hideouts at Kusuma, Sigir in Ngala and Arijallamari in Abadam Local Government Areas.

The airstrikes were coordinated by the Air Task Force of the counter-terrorism operation, Operation Lafiya Dole.

4. JAMB Puts Candidate Registration Exercise On Hold

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, on Thursday disclosed that the registration for the 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and Direct Entry which was expected to commence today has been put on hold.

The examination board in a statement released through the head of media and protocol, Fabian Benjamin, noted that the registration was delayed to ensure that all candidates have access to its registration app for the 2021 UTME/DE and also finalize work on its pin vending process before the take-off of the exercise.

JAMB called on all candidates to follow up on advertisements for the 2021 registration exercise to understand the steps involved and the actual date of the registration exercise.

5. Boko Haram Terrorists, Bandits Must Be Wiped Out – El-Rufai

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has called for the clampdown on Boko Haram insurgents and bandits terrorizing the North and the country in general.

Speaking at the town hall meeting on national security hosted by the Ministry of Information and Culture in Kaduna on Thursday, the governor asked security agencies to wipe the criminals.

El-Rufai stressed the current security situation calls for the restructuring of the country, adding that the move will curb the rising insecurity in the nation.

The governor also joined the call for the decentralization of the police, saying that the time has come for state police.

El-Rufai asked the federal government to decentralize the management and ownership of mineral resources.

The governor also urged the judiciary to Fastrack the long duration of prosecution in order to encourage the current security situation.

6. Bandits Release Five More Abducted Kaduna Students

Bandits have released five more students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka in Kaduna State.

Naija News recalls that the bandits had three days ago released the first batch of five students abducted from the same college.

This brings to 10, the total number of students that have been released while those still in captivity are 29.

It was gathered that the released students who just regained freedom are currently on their way to the hospital.

Four male and a female student were picked up by policemen around Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State, reliable sources disclosed to Daily Trust.

7. I Am In London Taking A Short Rest – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday in a statement forwarded to King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Abdullah ll Bin Al-Hussein, said he is taking a short rest in London, United Kingdom.

The Nigerian President stated this while reacting to the resolution of a recent rift in the royal family.

Buhari in his message noted that he was worried when he heard reports of the problem but felt reassured when he learnt that everything had been resolved amicably.

“While here in London taking a short rest, I was profoundly disturbed to read from international news agencies of attempts to destabilize the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.”

8. FG Speaks On Stopping National Sports Festival

The Federal Government has said that the ongoing National Sports Festival in Edo State will not be discontinued.

The Edo State Government had on Wednesday night announced that the festival will end abruptly on Thursday afternoon over lack of funds.

According to a statement released by the Coordinator of Media and Publicity for the festival, Ebomhiana Musa, the decision to end the festival was taken at an emergency meeting of the committee headed by Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu.

The statement noted that the Federal Government’s failure to provide funds 24 hours to the commencement of the festival was the reason for the decision.

But in a statement on Thursday morning by the Assistant Director Press, Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Ramon Balogun, the festival will continue as planned.

9. Nigerian Army Storm Imo State, Begins Show Of Force

The Nigerian Army on Thursday began a show of force in Imo following the recent gun attack in the southeast state.
Recall that gunmen on Monday morning attacked the correctional facility and police investigations department in Owerri, Imo State, setting them on fire and releasing over 1800 inmates.

The attackers, who operated between 1am and 3am also attacked a military base at Ukwuorji on the Owerri-Onitsha expressway, burnt a soldier in a car and razed four military operational vehicles.

It was gathered that the show of force was intended to boost the moral of security agents and to restore the confidence of the people in the security agents.

10. S’West Crisis: PDP Moves To Reconcile Makinde, Fayose

The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is set to reposition its South West chapter towards the 2023 general election.

Naija News reports that the southwest PDP has been embroiled in crisis, leading to the delay in holding the zonal congress to elect zonal leaders of the party.

However, the PDP had scheduled the congress for this weekend and has informed INEC about the congress.

PDP, however, in a statement on Wednesday by the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the party has scaled up processes for reconciliation as it affects the South West Zonal Congress of the party.

The party said it has summoned Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde and former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, “for urgent resolution of all issues concerning the South West.”

That’s the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.