Nigerian Newspapers: 10 things you need to know Monday morning

Good morning! Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers:

1. Reports have emerged that more than 200 suspects who were linked with terrorism activities in different parts of the country have been convicted by the Federal High Courts, FHC, in the country after they were found guilty of the offences. Some of the suspects, according to the National Counter-Terrorism Centre in the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, were sentenced to death, life imprisonment and 20 to 70 years.

2. The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, has approved the withdrawal of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso from the bloc from January 29, 2025. It however gave the three countries up till July next year to reconsider their planned withdrawal from the regional bloc.

3. The Nigerian Navy has recruited 1,814 young Nigerians in the last six months to strengthen joint military operations in the Northeast, Niger Delta, and the Gulf of Guinea. The Chief of Naval Staff, CNS, Vice Admiral Emmanual Ogalla, announced this at the passing-out parade of Batch 36 trainees at the Nigerian Navy Basic Training School, NNBTS in Onne, Rivers State.

4. Dangote Petroleum Refinery said it has exported Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, also known as petrol to Cameroon, Ghana, Angola and South Africa. Vice President of Oil and Gas, Dangote Industries Limited, Dr. Devakumar Edwin, disclosed this when a delegation from the Japanese Business Community in Nigeria, led by Japan’s Ambassador-designate to Nigeria, Suzuki Hideo, visited the facility.

Advertisement

5. Three persons have been confirmed dead, one injured and another reportedly missing in an accident involving an articulated truck at PZ Junction, Odogunyan, Ikorodu area of Lagos State, on Sunday. According to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, the accident was caused by the recklessness of a truck driver transporting twin 20-foot containers fully loaded with goods.

6. Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the Tincan seaport in Lagos, have intercepted multi-billion-naira worth shipments of Methamphetamine and Loud, a strong synthetic strain of cannabis meant for distribution during the Christmas and New Year festive season.

7. The Benue State Police Command on Sunday confirmed that 20 passengers were killed in the boat that capsized on River Benue last Saturday. The spokesperson for the state command, Catherine Anene, said 11 persons had been rescued from the river while 20 corpses had been recovered, adding that an operation was still ongoing to rescue others.

8. A disastrous fire again wreaked havoc in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Sunday morning, destroying three shops while the prompt arrival of the state fire services saved 13 others. Investigations revealed that the blaze, which occurred behind a branch of the First City Monument Bank, Dugbe in Ibadan, is believed to be the burning of refuse unattended to by the occupants of the premises.

9. The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, has secured over $600m in foreign agricultural loans in 2024 to boost food security and rural development. According to information from the ministry’s website, the government obtained a $134m loan facility from the African Development Bank to enhance seed and grain production nationwide.

10. The Nigeria Customs Service says it has intercepted over 695,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, petrol being smuggled to neighbouring countries. The NCS Comptroller-General, Adewale Adeniyi, said the feat achieved in collaboration with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, is to fight economic saboteurs who ventured into smuggling and diversion of petroleum products.