Top Nigerian Newspapers Headlines For Today, Friday, 18th February, 2022

Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top newspapers headlines in Nigeria for today, Friday, 18th February 2022

1. ‘Horrific Crimes’ – Buhari Condemns Ritual Killings, Attacks On Security Agents

President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned a rise in ritual killings and deadly attacks against on-duty policemen and ethnic minorities.

Naija News reports that such incidents have recently been reported in Enugu, Imo, Abia, Zamfara, and Ogun States.

President Buhari, in a statement by his Media aide, Garba Shehu, said incidents of ritual killings, hate crimes, and killing of law enforcement officers are aberrations.

In expressing the sympathy of the nation to families of all the victims, Buhari urged law enforcement agencies, state governments, local authorities, community and religious leaders to take all lawful actions to prevent further incidents of this nature, and to put in place

President Buhari said that killings in the name of rituals, political agitation and tribal hatred are not in keeping with the tenets of our religions and of the civilized and enlightened cultures we are all claiming to be, adding that “no person has the right to take the law in his or her own hands.”

Furthermore, Buhari reemphasized the need for all Nigerians to be their brother’s keeper and should see an attack, be it verbal or physical on anyone, as an attack on the very essence that keeps us as a nation measures against the normalization of these primitive acts, hate crimes and acts of terror.

2. Some Beneficiaries Have Never Seen ₦5,000 Before – Sadiya Farouq Defends Govt Cash Transfer Policy

The Minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management, and social development, Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq says the ₦5,000 conditional cash transfer by the Muhammadu Buhari government to some Nigerians is significant to their welfare and wellbeing.

She submitted that the fact that some people don’t see the money as important does not mean the beneficiaries don’t appreciate it.

According to her, some of the beneficiaries are so poor that they have never seen ₦5,000 before and shed tears when the money is given to them.

The Minister made the submission on Thursday while speaking with State House correspondents during a press briefing organized by the presidential media team.

She said the cash transfer is part of the plans by the Muhammadu Buhari administration to lift 100 million Nigerians from extreme poverty.

3. Abba Kyari: Police Service Commission Suspends Two IRT Members, Orders IGP To Suspend Two Inspectors

Two members of the Intelligence and Response Team (IRT), Assistant Commissioner of Police Sunday Ubua and Assistant Superintendent of Police James Bawa, have been suspended from the Nigeria Police Force.

Naija News reports that the two members of the Abba Kyari-led team were suspended from their respective offices by the Police Service Commission (PSC) in a letter dated February 16, 2022, and directed to the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba.

The letter is titled “Re- Investigation into seizure and Transfer to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency of 25 kilogrammes of Cocaine by the Office of DCP, Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Nigeria Police Department of Force Intelligence Bureau”.

A statement on Thursday issued by PSC Spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani, said the letter was signed by a member of the commission, Hon. Justice Clara B. Ogunbiyi, on behalf of a former police chief and PSC Chairman, Musiliu Smith.

Ani said the two police officers have been suspended from their duties with effect from Monday, February 14, 2022, until the outcome of the investigation into the allegations levelled against them.

He added that PSC also asked the police chief to suspend Inspector Simon Agrigba and Inspector John Nuhu in accordance with the Powers of Delegation.

4. Nigeria’s Economy Records 3.40% Growth, Highest Since Buhari Became President In 2015

Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is a measure of the country’s economic performance has recorded a 3.4 percent growth in 2021.

This is according to the latest data released on Thursday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) which was presented to newsmen in Abuja by the Statistician-General of the Federation Dr. Simon Harry.

The NBS data shows the country’s economy grew by 3.98% (year-on-year) in real terms in the fourth quarter of 2021 which represents the strongest growth rate since 2014.

Naija News reports this is also the first time the nation’s economy will grow above three percent since President Muhammadu Buhari came into power in 2015.

In 2014, the country’s economy recorded a 6.3 percent growth.

5. Labour To Embark On Strike Over Prolonged Fuel Scarcity

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have vowed to embark on strike over the prolonged fuel scarcity in many parts of the country.

Naija News reports that the TUC National President, Quadri Olaleye, made this known on Wednesday during a press briefing in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

Olaleye stated that the union is currently observing the fuel scarcity and has started discussing with other stakeholders on the prolonged queues in petrol stations.

The TUC President, however, said that the union might be forced to take protest or embark on strike if the situation continues for so long.

6. Why Nigerians Are Suffering Under Buhari Govt – Peter Obi

Former Anambra Governor, Peter Obi has revealed why most Nigerians are suffering under the Muhammadu Buhari-led government.

In a tweet via his Twitter handle on Thursday, Obi stated that Nigerians are facing economic woes due to the continued mismanagement of borrowed funds by politicians.

He added that continuous borrowing for consumption by the present government is one of the major factors of the monumental economic crisis facing the country.

The former vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supported the government borrowing, but stressed that such borrowed funds should be used wisely to impact the lives of Nigerians.

The former governor, therefore, called on the federal government to enact a law to regulate borrowing and the misuse of any borrowed funds.

7. Strike: FG Moves To Meet ASUU’s Demand, Constitutes White Paper Panel

President Muhammadu Buhari-led government has made moves to meet one of the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Recall that ASUU on Monday embarked on a one-month warning strike after failing to come to terms with the government on its demands.

However, in a statement released on Thursday by its Director of Press and Media Relations, Ben Goong, Federal Ministry of Education explained that ten white paper drafting panels have been constituted to meet one of ASUU’s demands.

Naija News understands that the move by the government to inaugurate a white paper drafting panel is coming barely a year after the visiting panels to tertiary institutions constituted by President submitted the reports of their findings to the education ministry.

The visiting panel, which was inaugurated by the President, was to look into the lapses in the administration of universities.

8. IGP Baba Appoints Anyasinti As Police Special Fraud Unit Boss

Nneka Anyasinti has emerged as the 27th Commissioner of Police, Special Fraud Unit (SFU), Lagos, Naija News has learned.

In a statement on Thursday, the fraud unit spokesman, Eyitayo Johnson, said the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, appointed Anyasinti to head the unit following her track record.

He disclosed that the new commissioner of police, who took over from the immediate past head of the unit, Anderson Bankole, becomes the second female to head the division.

Johnson added that Anyasinti has assumed duty following Bankole’s retirement from the Nigeria Police Force at the age of 60.

The spokesman said the new commissioner of police in a meeting with the personnel of the unit, charged them to be professional and diligent in the investigation and prosecution of suspects.

He said Anyasinti also charged them to respect the rights of suspects and cautioned against unnecessary detention of suspects with or without a court order’’.

9. Aregbesola Speaks On Alleged Attack On His Convoy

The former Governor of Osun State and Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola has reacted to the alleged plan to assassinate him in Osogbo, Osun State on Monday.

According to the All Progressives Congress chieftain, the gunmen attacked his convoy as he approached Old Garage junction in Osogbo before his security personnel responded to the attack.

Aregbesola in a statement released through his media aide, Sola Fasure, said the sponsors of the attack have resorted to damaging his image after failing to achieve their mission.

The Osun State former Governor accused the state government of planning to cause chaos during the governorship primary of the APC in the state.

10. Don’t Blame IPOB For Your Travails – Police Panel Tells Abba Kyari

A probe panel set up by the Inspector General of Police has slammed the former head of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Abba Kyari, over a comment on his travails.

Naija News earlier reported that the embattled super cop had alleged that members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) are behind his predicament due to the raid against them in the South East.

It was learned that the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police made the allegation during his appearance before the investigation panel set up to probe him at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.

But according to the report submitted to IGP Usman Baba, which was then forwarded to the Police Service Commission (PSC), the panel berated the embattled police officer for blaming the proscribed group for his travails.

In the report, the probe panel described Kyari’s claim as baseless and watery, asking the PSC to demote the suspended police officer from the rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police to Assistant Commissioner of Police.

Those are the top Nigerian newspapers headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.