Nigerian Newspapers
Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Thursday, 7th July, 2022
Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Thursday, 7th July 2022
1. Buhari Storms Kuje Prison After Boko Haram Attack
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday visited the Kuje Medium Correctional Centre hours after it was attacked by terrorists suspected to be members of Boko Haram.
Naija News earlier reported that the heavily armed gunmen invaded the federal facility around 10.30pm and successfully operated for about one hour unhindered.
It was learned they reportedly freed Boko Haram inmates and other detainees at the correctional centre. Other inmates also used the opportunity of the attack to escape from the Kuje Prison.
Meanwhile, over fifty inmates who escaped during a terrorist attack on Kuje Prison on Tuesday evening have been recaptured.
The escapees were rearrested by officials of the Nigerian Correctional Services, NCS, on Wednesday and also returned to the facility.
This development comes hours after the Minister of Defence, Bashir Magashi, had revealed that many of the inmates who escaped have been recaptured and brought back to the prison.
Magashi stated that over 600 inmates escaped and all Boko Haram inmates at the facility were released during the terror attack.
2. President Buhari Swears In New Ministers Into His Cabinet
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, swore in seven new ministers into his cabinet.
The new Ministers, Naija News reports were sworn in shortly before the commencement of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja.
This follows their screening and confirmation by the Senate after the names of the nominees were earlier forwarded to the lawmakers by the President.
The swearing-in at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) was done in two batches, Naija News understands.
The first set was Henry Ikechukwu Ikoh – Abia State, Umana Okon Umana – Akwa Ibom State, Odum Odih – Rivers State, and Ademola Adewole Adegoroye – Ondo State.
The second batch included Umar Ibrahim El-Yakub – Kano State, Goodluck Nnana Opiah – Imo State and Egwumakama Joseph Nkama – Ebonyi State.
3. All Boko Haram Suspects In Kuje Prison Have Escaped – Defence Minister Confirms
All Boko Haram terrorists arrested and held in Kuje prison in Abuja escaped during the attack on the facility on Tuesday night.
Minister of Defence, Bashir Magashi confirmed the escape of the dreaded group members while interacting with newsmen on Wednesday morning after a visit to the facility, Naija News understands.
This news platform had reported earlier that terrorists attacked the prison facility with bombs last night (Tuesday) and freed many inmates.
According to him, about six hundred out of 994 inmates in the prison facility escaped during the attack.
Magashi said some of the inmates have been recaptured and brought back to the prison, hoping that more will be captured and returned soon.
4. Full List: President Buhari Reshuffles Cabinet
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday reshuffled his cabinet, assigning new portfolios to ministers.
Naija News reports that this is coming less than a year to the end of his second-term as president.
The swearing-in and new portfolios of the new ministers cleared by the Senate were announced at the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The first batch of Ministers to be sworn in were Henry Ikechukwu Ikoh – Abia State, Umana Okon Umana – Akwa Ibom State, Odum Odih – Rivers State and Ademola Adewole Adegoroye – Ondo State.
The second batch included Umar Ibrahim El-Yakub – Kano State, Goodluck Nnana Opiah – Imo State and Egwumakama Joseph Nkama – Ebonyi State.
Umana was named the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs; Gbemisola Saraki moved from Minister of State for Transportation to Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development; Olorunimbe Mammora moved from Minister of State for Health to Minister of State to Science, Technology and Innovation, while Sharon Ikeazor moved from Environment to Minister of State Niger Delta Affairs.
Other appointments are Muazu Jaji Sambo, Minister of Transportation; Umar Ibrahim El Yakubu, Minister of State Works and Housing; Goodluck Nanah Opiah, Minister of State Education; Ekumankama Joseph Nkama, Minister of State Heath; Ikoh Henry Ikechukwu, Minister of State, Science and Technology; Odum Udi, Minister of State, Environment, and Ademola Adewole Adegoroye, Minister of State, Transportation.
5. Buhari Slams Security Set Up Over Kuje Prison Attack By Terrorists
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday expressed surprise and disappointment at how terrorists successfully launched a daring attack on the Kuje prison facility in Abuja.
President Buhari who visited the attacked facility in the company of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha and his chief of staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari queried how the terrorists could organize and carry out such an attack.
Buhari made his mind known after he was briefed at the scene by Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr. Shuaib Mohammad Lamido Belgore and the Controller General of Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa.
He questioned the inability of security forces on guard to have raised an initial alarm before the situation got out of hand and so many terrorists in detention were released.
The President was told that 63 terrorists were unaccounted for after the attack.
6. N/Assembly Summons Environment Minister, HYPREP Over Ogoni Clean-up
The Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi, and the Management of Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) have been summoned over the failure to clean up Ogoni land.
Naija News reports that the National Assembly Joint Panel on host communities summoned the minister and the management of HYPREP over the failure to clean up Ogoni despite payment of $1 billion for the project.
Speaking on Wednesday, the Chairman of the National Assembly Joint Panel, Senator Degi Eremienyo, said the minister and officials of the Ministry of Environment have refused to show up before the panel for the third time.
Eremienyo said he was grossly disappointed with the conduct of the minister and his officials, adding that they had a lot to hide about the clean-up and were concealing information.
7. Abba Kyari, Others Still In Kuje Prison — Official
A top official of the Nigeria Correctional Service has debunked the report that suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari and some high-profile inmates have escaped Kuje Prison.
The official who spoke with Vanguard claimed that terrorists who bombed Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre, Abuja on Tuesday night attempted to gain access to Kyari’s cell but were not successful.
The source also claimed that over 1,000 inmates escaped and when they did the headcount after the attack, only 111 inmates were still in the facility.
Naija News had earlier reported that terrorists attacked the prison on Tuesday to release their members.
Other high personalities in the prison apart from Kyari are former governor of Taraba State, Jolly Nyame, and Farouk Lawan, a former member of the House of Representatives.
8. FG Discloses Identity Of Suspects Behind Kuje Prison Attack
The federal government has declared that the Boko Haram terrorist group are suspected to be responsible for Tuesday’s attack on the Kuje Prison facility in Abuja.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Mr. Shuaibu Belgore gave the hint when he visited the facility on Wednesday.
He added that about 600 inmates escaped from the facility following Tuesday’s attack but security operatives have been able to re-arrest 300 of them while efforts are ongoing to arrest others.
Belgore further disclosed that 994 inmates were been held in the facility before the attack by Boko Haram terrorists who he said launched the attack to free some of their members in prison.
The government official also confirmed the death of one person and the injury of three others during the attack.
9. ‘It Is A Scam’ – Peter Obi Speaks On Fuel Subsidy Removal
The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has vowed to remove the controversial fuel subsidy if elected as president in 2023.
Naija News understands that Nigeria’s petrol subsidy as of 2021 cost around $4.5bn, or roughly two percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The reported figure exceeds Nigeria’s Government’s spending on health, education, and social protection.
However, the Muhammadu Buhari Government has disclosed that it is not the right time to remove the costly fuel subsidy after several calls for immediate removal.
In an interview with Reuters on Monday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, had said that the federal government postponed the planned petrol subsidy removal till further notice due to the economic woes and social disharmony in the country.
Speaking during an appearance on Arise TV on Wednesday, Obi said he would remove the fuel subsidy if elected President because it’s not beneficial to the country’s economy.
The former Anambra State governor described fuel subsidy as a scam, adding that he will replace the fuel subsidy with something that will benefit the country.
10. 2023: This Election Will Not Be Based On ‘My Turn’, Nigeria Is In Coma And Needs A Saviour – Obi
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi has submitted that Nigeria must not vote along ethnic, religious or other sentimental lines in the 2023 presidential election.
Obi who spoke on Wednesday during a TV interview stated that such sentiments have led the country into the current pitiable state in which it has found itself.
According to the former Anambra State Governor, many citizens are in poverty, public universities are locked down, government finance is dwindling and generally, Nigeria is in a coma and needs a specialist to take over and wake it up.
Naija News reports Obi made the submissions during an interview appearance on Arise Television’s ‘The Morning Show.’
He spoke against the backdrop of comments by Rabiu Kwankwaso that he can’t be Obi’s Vice President which led to a stalemate in the planned alliance between the Labour Party and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
However, Obi who is the LP candidate said such thinking is parochial and has led Nigeria nowhere. Instead of threading the same path laced with ethnic and religious sentiments in choosing leaders, he urged Nigerians to vote for someone like him with the capacity to move the country forward and ensure its potential is achieved.
Those are the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.
