Newspaper Headlines Today Thursday 27th October 2022

Below are today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers:

1. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has confiscated N20bn lodged in 103 bank accounts belonging to Lagos socialite and businessman, Mallinson Ukatu, who is being held in Ikoyi Custodial Centre for drug dealing.

2. The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, on Wednesday, announced that the voter register had swollen up to 93.5m. Analysis of the preliminary register reveals that Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Rivers, Katsina and Oyo States have the highest number of registered voters.

3. Governor Samuel Ortom says the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, must apologise to the people of Benue State if he indeed needs their votes in the 2023 general election. Ortom said the apology must be made public because the presidential candidate lied against him recently during his outing in Kaduna State.

4. The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, announced on Wednesday that the bank would release re-designed naira notes by December 15, 2022. Emefiele made this announcement during a special press briefing in Abuja yesterday where he gave reasons for the move.

5. Two terror suspects have been arrested by the Department of State Services’ operatives who stormed the Trademore Estate in the Lugbe area of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on Monday. The security operatives were said to have shut the entrance and exit gates of the estate while the operation lasted.

6. The Federal High Court, Umuahia, Abia State, yesterday, ordered the Federal Government to pay the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, the sum of N500 million as aggregated damages as a result of his illegal abduction from Kenya and human rights abuse.

7. Australian and Canadian authorities have issued travel advisories on Nigeria, warning their citizens to be on alert. They issued the warning 72 hours after the US and UK said terrorists were plotting to strike in Nigeria’s capital.

8. The All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, says he has forgiven Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, noting that he doesn’t harbour any ill-feeling against the former presidential aspirant. Osinbajo, who used to be Tinubu’s close ally, was a major contender for the APC presidential ticket, which the latter eventually clinched.

9. Less than 72 hours after raising alarm over what it described as “elevated risk of terror attacks” in Nigeria, specifically in Abuja, the United States government has authorised the evacuation of its government employees and their families from Nigeria.

10. The Commissioner for information and voter education of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Festus Okoye, has said that the commission is under pressure to deliver on its mandate. He also said that the process for the removal of INEC chairman is also rigorous.