Naija News: Top Headlines Today, Friday, 9th December 2022

1. The Department of State Services (DSS) yesterday gave the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and oil marketers a 48-hour ultimatum to make Premium Motor Spirit, known as petrol, available for Nigerians. Peter Afunanya, the Spokesman for DSS, made this known while briefing journalists.

2. Senator Lee Maeba, an ally of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, whose Port Harcourt residence was attacked on Thursday has said the attacker came to kill him. Suspected thugs numbering about 30 had attacked the residence of the former Rivers South East Senator, destroying about 5 cars in the process.

3. The member representing Gwer East/Gwer West Federal Constituency of Benue State, Mark Gbillah, has said that the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, is going beyond his mandate by introducing the cash withdrawal limit policy. Gbillah stated this in an interview with Channels TV yesterday.

4. The House of Representatives at Thursday plenary asked the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele to suspend implementation of the policy pending the outcome of the expected engagement on the compliance with the relevant sections of the CBN act and the 1999 constitution on the monetary policies of the apex bank.

5. Ahead of the 2023 elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had said it is planning to set up voting centres for over two million Internally Displaced Persons across the country. The voting centres will be sighted in IDP camps.

6. Pelumi Olajengbesi, the lawyer to popular musician, Daniel Oladapo, also known as D’Banj, has called for the release of the singer from the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission. Olajengbesi in a statement on Thursday said D’Banj who was arrested by the anti-graft agency on Tuesday, was innocent of the allegations of fund diversion trailing him regarding the social empowerment programme, ‘N-Power Scheme.’

7. A man, Taofeek Isah, has been sentenced to death by hanging by the Edo State High Court sitting in the Auchi area of the State. The court also sentenced two others, Jeremiah Okamudu and Miracle Pius, to different jail terms. The convicts were brought before the court on five counts of rape, kidnapping, attack with a harmful substance, inflicting physical injury, and unlawful trial by ordeal.

8. An Ogba magistrates’ court, Lagos, has ordered the remand of two men for threatening to post the nude pictures of a woman on social media. The accused, Hillary Ogbodo (23) and Joseph Chukwudi (23), were alleged to have taken the nude pictures of their female neighbour and threatened to post the photos.

9. The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor, has pledged that the military would resist pressure to compromise the 2023 elections. Irabor, who was the 61st guest of the Ministerial Media Briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team, yesterday, noted that necessary measures were being put in place to ensure they obey President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive to maintain neutrality.

10. The Rivers State government has warned a group allegedly orchestrating a campaign of calumny against Governor Nyesom Wike over his role in the collective demand by the five governors (G-5) of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) for fairness, equity and justice in the party. Commissioner for Information and Communications, Chris Finebone gave the warning while briefing journalists in Port Harcourt, yesterday.