Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Sunday, 16th October, 2022

Good morning Nigeria, welcome to CityNews Nigeria roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Sunday, 16th October 2022.

Inside Details On Why Buhari Govt Released 101 ‘Notorious Boko Haram’ Suspects From Kirikiri

Details have emerged revealing why 101 Boko Haram suspects were recently released from correctional facilities, including the Kirikiri maximum and medium centres in Lagos State.

CityNews recalls that an insider told FIJ last Sunday that wardens at the facility allegedly released the terrorists from the medium and maximum security facilities as part of a swap deal with the terrorists for the release of travellers who were abducted in Kaduna on March 28.

The source disclosed that the terrorists had spoken about their release happening before a new administration took over.

According to the source, the released terrorists were aware of the Kuje jailbreak where over 60 dreaded terrorists were released.

But a report by Daily Trust had claimed that an out-of-court settlement had facilitated the recent release of 101 ‘Boko Haram’ suspects who were arrested at various locations in 2009.

Sources revealed that discussions for the release of the suspects started long ago when it was evident that there were no facts to prove that they were Boko Haram members, considering that most of them were arrested in the streets of various cities at the onset of the Boko Haram uprising 13 years ago.

‘Japa’: UK, Canada, US, China, Others Granting Nigerian Youths Visa Are Wicked – Tinubu’s Ally

A former governor of Ogun State and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has lamented the growing trend of Nigerian youths leaving the country for greener pastures.

Naija News reports that many Nigerian youths now see ‘Japa’ as the only option to escape insecurity and economic meltdown in Nigeria.

Japa is a Yoruba term that means leave or run away, and it is now used to describe the mass emigration of talented young Nigerians traveling abroad in search of greener pastures.

Speaking to BBC Yoruba, Amosun, an ally of the APC presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, described countries giving visas to Nigerians to aid their ‘Japa’ as wicked.

According to the former Governor, countries giving visas to Nigerian accountants, lawyers, and medical practitioners do not consider the effect on Nigeria.

He said, “I have heard about it, and the reports are scary. All our youths and young talents are traveling out of Nigeria, seeking greener pastures, and the prospective countries are deliberately giving them visas to leave the country without putting the origin country into consideration.

“What scares me most in all this is the proliferation of emigration. Foreigners will not fix our nation for us if all our citizens should leave the country. I am seeing the countries granting visas to our youths as wicked because they are not considering the origin nation from which their prospective labour force are coming from.

“If you ask our people leaving the nation for greener pastures, they will tell you that they are not planning to return to Nigeria.”

N1bn Wike’s Claim: PDP’s Hypocrisy Stinks To High Heavens – Keyamo Mocks Atiku, Ayu

The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo (SAN) has mocked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the controversy surrounding a one billion naira loan.

The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike had on Friday during a media chat with journalists, made claims that the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu received N1bn from a presidential aspirant in Lagos and another N100m from another party source.

Wike first made the allegation on September 23 and reiterated it on Friday, October 14.

However, both allegations were denied in a swift reaction by Ayu.

But speaking on Friday after a meeting with the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) in Abuja, Ayu had denied receiving money in his personal capacity.

He however admitted that due to financial difficulties, former Vice-President and now the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, suggested that the party should take a loan of N1bn from the bank but that after deliberations, the National Working Committee rejected the idea.

“When we came in, and the party had funding difficulties, the current presidential candidate suggested that the party should take a loan of N1bn from a bank.

“And the owner of that bank was also an influential member of this party. He has left the party now. But when we discussed with him, we discarded the idea,” he had said.

Reacting in a post on Twitter, Keyamo, who is the official spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council, described PDP leaders as hypocrites.

Wike, Makinde, Other Aggrieved PDP Govs Depart Nigeria

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, and three aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have left Nigeria for Spain.

The other aggrieved governors include Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Samuel Ortom (Benue).

The four Governors posed for a photograph at the International Airport, Omagwa in Ikwerre Local Government Area early on Saturday morning before jetting out to Spain in a private jet.

A top party chieftain in the state who pleaded anonymity confirmed the trip to The PUNCH on Saturday.

He said, “Yes, it is true. They left for Spain early Saturday morning, but I can’t say the reason for the trip.”

It was learnt Enugu Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, might join the team later.

Naija News understands that the latest meeting between the G-5 governors came barely 24 hours after Wike’s media briefing.

N1bn Wike Claim: Ayu Reveals Role Of Atiku, Warns Against Dragging His Family

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu has while debunking allegations of receiving illegal money from party members also revealed more details of what actually transpired.

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike had on Friday during a media chat with journalists, made claims that Ayu received N1bn from a presidential aspirant in Lagos and another N100m from another party source.

Wike first made the allegation on September 23 and reiterated it on Friday, October 14.

However, both allegations were denied in a swift reaction by Ayu.

Speaking on Friday after a meeting with the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) in Abuja, Ayu denied receiving money in his personal capacity.

He however spilled that due to financial difficulties, former Vice-President and now the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, suggested that the party should take a loan of N1bn from the bank but that after deliberations, the National Working Committee rejected the idea.

Tinubu Knows My Party – Former Emir Sanusi Speaks Ahead Of 2023 Elections

Former Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido has declared that he would not be openly supporting any political party in the 2023 election.

Sanusi who spoke on Saturday as the keynote speaker of an event organized by the Kaduna State Investment Promotion Agency said speaking the truth to power cost him his job as the Central Bank Governor.

While saying the situation in Nigeria is not about any particular party, Lamido added that the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who was also at the event knows his party is Nigeria.

“I keep repeating, hope you remember that I lost my job at the Central Bank for this same problem. It is not about a particular party. I have no party. My party is Nigeria. This is the problem we had in 2014. Asiwaju (Tinubu) knows my party is Nigeria,” he said.

Speaking further, Sanusi questioned the statistics of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited concerning fuel consumption in Nigeria.

According to him, the submission that Nigerians currently consume 66 million litres of petrol per day is not justifiable.

The former Emir also questioned how daily consumption jumped by about 50% from 40 million litres in 2019 to 66 million litres as claimed by the NNPC.

Why I Want Marijuana Legalised In Nigeria – Sowore

The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has again called for the legalization of marijuana.

Naija News reports that the publisher of Sahara Reporters reiterated the call on Friday during a Twitter Space hosted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Friday.

The AAC presidential candidate stated that beyond the consumption of the substance, marijuana can also be used for the production of medicines, textiles and concrete.

Speaking further, Sowore said that even if cannabis is legalized, he would not consume the substance.

The human rights activist revealed that he has never smoked marijuana in his life, stating that he is already high on justice already.

Kogi State To Sue Dangote Over Obajana Cement Plant

The dispute between the Kogi State Government and Dangote Group over the Obajana cement plant has taken a new twist.

The state government, in a statement issued by the Commissioner of Information, Kingsley Fanwo, disclosed its intention to sue Dangote in court over the ownership of the plant.

The commissioner disclosed that measures have been put in place to take the Dangote Group to court in its bid to reclaim ownership of the plant.

He explained that the decision to go to court followed overnight consultations and meetings between key government officials led by Governor Yahaya Bello and stakeholders representing the different ethnic groups in the state.

“All stakeholders resolved to head to court in the interest of the people and generations to come, and the governor said no going back on the state’s resolve to reclaim its asset,” he added.

According to Fanwo, the new development comes after no agreement was reached with the Dangote Group concerning the ownership of the Obajana cement plant, after a series of meetings and interventions by various stakeholders.

Fanwo said, “The battle for the ownership of the plant was far from over and that the government was ready to “battle it to the end.”

CUPP Insists On Plot To Remove INEC Chairman, Demands International Monitoring Of 2023 Election

The Coalition of United Political Parties(CUPP) has insisted on the alleged plot to sack the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

Naija News learnt that the CUPP had on Friday protested at the High Commission of the United Kingdom, United States and embassies of the European Union in Abuja demanding a global hunt down of the conspirators and their families with visa ban, freezing of assets freeze and arrest where possible.

The protest which was led by leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Labour Party (LP), Action Alliance (AA), and other opposition parties also dropped a petition against the plot to remove Yakubu and to dismiss the usage of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in the 2023 election.

The CUPP spokesperson, Ikenga Ugochinyere, told journalists at a press conference that they were demanding firm action against the people who had held Nigeria and its 200 million citizens down.

“They perpetuate themselves in office through the rigging, deny the people of their democratic choice, loot the common treasury and acquire property across the globe. If these properties are seized, they will learn their lessons,” Ugochinyere said.

‘Wike Saved PDP From Total Collapse, He Should Back Tinubu’s Presidency’

The Spokesman of the Asiwaju Bola Tinubu presidential campaign in the southeast, Dr. Josef Onoh has urged the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and join as a patron to the campaign train of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on moral grounds.

In a statement on Saturday, Onoh, a former PDP governorship aspirant in Enugu, asked the Rivers State Governor to save himself the troubles in the PDP.

According to the APC chieftain, Wike cannot afford to be left out in the coming government of national unity that will be devoid of political party affiliation.

He berated the statement by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba who said that the PDP lifted Wike from obscurity.

According to Onoh, Wike saved the PDP from the brink of collapse, adding that the Rivers State governor remains the only ‘hurricane, thunder and lightning’ of the main opposition party.

While commending Wike for clarifying his position on the Muslim-Muslim ticket, the APC campaign spokesperson called for the resignation of the PDP National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu.

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

Culled from NaijaNews.