14th August Newspaper Headlines from Nigeria

1. The Abuja division of the Court of Appeal has called off the arrest warrant issued against Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, by Justice Stephen Pam of the Federal High Court.

Justice Abdul Aboki, who led a three-man panel, suspended the enforcement of the arrest warrant in a ruling it delivered on Monday, in an appeal filed by the INEC chairman challenging the order made by Justice Pam for his arrest.

2. Former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, has mocked the anti-corruption campaign of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

Lamido, who was a guest on Channels Television’s political programme, Roadmap 2019, also accused the government of failing to keep its promises to Nigerians in the areas of security and the economy.

3. Senate President, Bukola Saraki has disclosed why he met with former President Olusegun Obasanjo behind closed doors.

Saraki, speaking to newsmen after the meeting on Monday evening, said he was with Obasanjo to make up for his absence during the formal inauguration of the Presidential library held last year.

4. Some members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) who left the orientation camp in Ogun State on Monday, were involved in an accident along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The accident, which occurred around 3:16pm, involved a white Coaster bus, left 19 corps members seriously injured.

5. Former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, on Monday stated that he is not perturbed over an alleged plot to declare his seat vacant.

The former Akwa Ibom Governor insisted that if the Senate President, Bukola Saraki declares his seat vacant, Saraki’s seat should also be declared vacant, especially when there is no division in the All Progressives Congress (APC).

6. The Oyo State police command on Monday said that they have arrested a man for allegedly being in possession of three human skulls in Ibadan, the state capital.

The 27-year old Sodiq Rasheed, according to the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abiodun Odude, was arrested around Omi Adio with the items.

7. President Muhammadu Buhari’s spokesperson, Garba Shehu, has accused the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, of behaving like a militant group.

Shehu said instead of following the democratic tenets in its activities on national issues, the opposition party was behaving like a militant group.

8. Governor of Cross River State, Prof. Ben Ayade, has increased the allowance of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members serving in the state from N3, 100 to N5, 000.

Ayade, who stated this on Monday during the closing ceremony for the 2018 `Batch B’ Orientation at the NYSC Orientation Camp in Obubra Local Government Area of the state, explained that the increase was necessitated by the high cost of goods and services in the country.

9. Chairman, Senate Committee on Navy, Senator Isa Hamma Misau, has stated that the Presidency should be ashamed that it is pushing the conspiracy script that top officials of the nation’s security apparatus are working for the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

Misau said that both the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole and Ojudu, were spinning the same conspiracy theory to hide the lack of coordination and discipline amongst the security agencies.

10. Nigeria is through to the quarter-finals of the U-20 Women’s World Cup in France, following a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser in a 1-1 draw with China.

Jiaxing Dou, challenged by Rasheedat Ajibade, struck into her own net in the last minute of the Group D game, to give the Super Falconets the point they needed to qualify.