Nigerian Newspapers: 10 things you need to know this Thursday morning

Good morning! Here are 10 things you need to know this morning:

1. Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, has threatened in a new video that the group will kill the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II. The threat is a response to the Emir’s call on Kano people to arm themselves and unite against the sect. The 19-minute video tagged Sanusi and other Muslim leaders as pagans.

2. A former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, has alleged that the leader of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos State, Chief Olabode George, and the newly elected governorship candidate of the party in the state, Mr. Jimi Agbaje engaged armed thugs in the recent governorship primary election in Lagos state. He alleged that some arms were recovered from the hired thugs by the police. This latest allegation is contained in an affidavit he filed before a Federal High Court in Abuja, in support of his earlier suit.

3. The wait was finally over in the fold of the All Progressives Congress , APC, on Wednesday as its presidential candidate, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), announced Prof. Yemi Osinbajo as his running mate. Buhari, while making the announcement said Osinbajo was chosen to help him to realize the task of nation building after 2015.

4. Report says the Nigerian Army has sentenced the 54 soldiers who have been under trial to death by firing squad for the offences of mutiny and conspiracy to commit mutiny. The soldiers include two corporals, nine lance corporals, and 48 private soldiers from the 111 Special Forces Battalion, Maiduguri, Borno State.

5. The office of the Senate President, David Mark has refuted claims by the Divisional Police Officer attached to the National Assembly, Mr. James Idachaba that Mark’s security details were responsible for teargassing speaker Tambuwal and other lawmakers. Mark in a statement through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, said the officer lied, tagging the report as dubious and embarrassing.

6. About 10 persons were on Monday killed by suspected members of the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram, who ambushed motorists on the Borno highway. The insurgents also abducted a woman and her two-year- old child during the attack.

7. A Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, stopped moves by the House of Representatives to investigate the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, over an alleged reckless spending of N10 billion on chartered jet. Justice Ahmed Mohammed in his

judgment voided two separate summons issued to the plaintiffs by the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Reps, that requested their appearance before the committee.

8. The House of Representatives on Wednesday, shifted the debate on the 2015 budget presented before it yesterday to January 13, 2015 after lawmakers would have returned from the Christmas and New Year break. The House consequently adjourned till January 13, 2015.

9. Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, yesterday embarked on a nationwide strike and shutting the nation’s ports operations. The workers are protesting a prolonged misunderstanding with the government. Some of the reasons for the protest are the non-payment wages and other issues affecting the Tally Clerks/On-board Security, minimum standard for Dockworkers and NPA staff welfare matters among others. Report says workers were withdrawn from their duty posts across the port formations in Lagos, Warri, Port Harcourt, Calabar and Onne, as early as 7am on Wednesday.

10. President Goodluck Jonathan and members of the Federal Executive Council on Wednesday paid tribute to a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, late Amb. Olugbenga Ashiru who died recently of brain tumour at a South African hospital. Jonathan, during the tribute session, described Ashiru as a man who spent all his life serving the nation selflessly.

Culled From dailypost.ng