Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naijaonpoint roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Wednesday, 5th February, 2025
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has denied ever tagging President Bola Tinubu as a corrupt public official.
Ribadu, in a letter through his lawyers, also denied ever accusing Senator George Akume and Senator Orji Uzor Kalu of stealing from the public treasury.
The NSA made the clarification while responding to an allegation that while he was the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), he labelled the three politicians as governors in Nigeria who stole most from the public treasury.
Naijaonpoint reports Ribadu made the denial in response to a TikTok video by the leader of Northern Star, Hajia Naja’atu Muhammad, who accused the NSA of going back to his vomit by serving in Tinubu’s presidency after initially accusing him of corruption when he was EFCC chairman.
He maintained that he had never privately or publicly accused the three leaders of corruption.
Ribadu, in the letter signed by his lawyer, Ahmed Raji (SAN), demanded a public apology and retraction within seven days from Muhammad or risk further legal action.
The Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umar Radda, has submitted that food prices in the country have drastically reduced.
According to him, the current prices of a bag of rice and a bag of maize have reduced drastically when compared to last year’s prices.
He gave the reason for the reduction in prices to be the support given to farmers in the state at both local and federal levels as well as the support given by President Bola Tinubu in fighting insecurity not only in the Northwest but across the country.
Gov Radda made the submissions during an interview with Arise News, which Naijaonpoint monitored.
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday raided the headquarters of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) in Abuja over allegations of fraud.
Arriving in a white bus at exactly 11 a.m. with a valid warrant of arrest, the operatives took the commission’s spokesperson, Fatimah Usara, along with three other yet-to-be-identified staff members from the premises.
Sources close to The Guardian indicated that the arrests were linked to an ongoing investigation into the alleged misappropriation of funds.
This development follows an earlier raid by operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), who had also searched NAHCON’s headquarters over alleged mismanagement of the N90 billion intervention fund allocated for the 2024 Hajj.
When contacted, EFCC Spokesperson Dele Oyewale stated that further details would be provided in due course.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has cautioned Anambra State’s billionaires against using their wealth to destabilize the party as it prepares for its governorship primary scheduled for April 5, 2025.
Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday during a courtesy visit by a support group known as ‘Booth to Booth with Bola Tinubu’, Ganduje reaffirmed the party’s commitment to conducting a transparent and credible primary election.
Acknowledging the financial strength of some APC members in Anambra, Ganduje urged them to use their resources to strengthen the party rather than create division.
The APC National Chairman also assured that the National Working Committee (NWC) would carefully determine whether the primaries would be conducted using a direct or indirect method, in consultation with party leadership.
Earlier, the National Coordinator of the visiting group, Iyke Madu, called on the APC leadership to adopt an indirect primary due to the security challenges in Anambra.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has withheld approval for the bill seeking to establish the Federal University of Education in Numan, Adamawa State.
In a letter addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajuddeen, and read by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu during Tuesday’s plenary session, Tinubu outlined his reasons for rejecting the bill.
One of the key concerns raised was Section 22 of the bill, which grants authority over land disposal to the state governor instead of the President, contrary to legal provisions governing federal institutions.
Additionally, Tinubu pointed out a legislative oversight in Section 25(b), where the bill failed to specify the institution’s authority to award degrees.
The House had initially passed the bill last year and submitted it for presidential assent, but with these concerns raised, further revisions may be necessary before reconsideration.
The Ogun State Police Command on Tuesday arraigned the suspended Olorile of Orile-Ifo, Oba Semiu Adewale Ogunjobi, over the assault of a 73-year-old chief, Abraham Areola.
Ogunjobi was brought before the court on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy, assault, and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace.
The Nigeria Police Force spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the development in a statement on Tuesday.
He said, “The Kabiyesi Abdulsemiu Ogunjobi, who assaulted one elderly man in a viral video, in Ifo, Ogun State, has been charged to court today, February 4, 2025, on a three-count of conspiracy, assault, and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace.”
The suspended monarch was granted bail, and the court adjourned the case to March 6, 2025, for further hearing.
Adejobi reiterated the commitment of the police to ensuring that justice is served.
“The police will continue to uphold the rule of law and the core values of the noble profession,” he stated.
The incident, which sparked public outrage, was captured in a viral video showing Ogunjobi verbally and physically assaulting Areola. The Ogun State Government swiftly responded by suspending the monarch for six months, pending further investigation.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has forecasted a delayed start to the rainfall in the northern and central states of the country for the 2025 rainy season.
NiMet indicated that although there will be an early onset of rainfall in the southern states, specifically Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Anambra, and certain areas of Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Lagos, Edo, Enugu, Imo, and Ebonyi, the northern and central areas, including Plateau and parts of Kaduna, Niger, Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba, Adamawa, and Kwara is expected to experience a delayed rainy season.
Naijaonpoint reports that during the annual seasonal climate prediction briefing, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, emphasized that pre-onset rainfall activities should not be mistaken for the actual beginning of the rainy season, as has been the case in previous years.
Overall, the length of the rainy season in 2025 is expected to be largely normal across the country.
However, Borno and parts of Yobe may experience a shorter duration, while Lagos and Nasarawa are likely to see a longer-than-usual rainy season.
The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has explained why she visited Generals Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar (Rtd) on Tuesday at their Minna, Niger State residences.
Naijaonpoint reported that Mrs Tinubu arrived at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport, Minna, at 10:30 am in a private aircraft. She was received by Niger State Governor, Dr. Umaru Mohammed Bago, and his wife, Hajiya Fatima Bago.
From the airport, the First Lady proceeded directly to Babangida’s residence, where she engaged in a 35-minute closed-door discussion with the former military leader.
After concluding her discussions with Babangida, Mrs. Tinubu proceeded to the nearby residence of General Abdulsalami Abubakar, where another meeting took place behind closed doors.
In an interview with journalists, Senator Tinubu described General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar as fathers of the nation, stressing that they have been very supportive of President Bola Tinubu’s government.
She clarified that the visits to the former Nigerian leaders are private visits without any political undertone.
Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has said the government should be worried about the negative image of Nigeria among comity of nations.
Naijaonpoint reports that Obi said the statement from United Kingdom Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, on the country’s poor governance should serve as a wake-up call for all citizens and the government to get it right.
In a statement on Tuesday titled ‘What should we make of all the negative remarks about Nigeria?’, the former presidential candidate condemned the attacks on Badenoch for speaking truth to power.
The former governor of Anambra State warned that unless the government addressed challenges to development, it may not attract foreign investors into the country.
Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has celebrated the court judgement which declared him innocent in the medical forgery case brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Fani-Kayode said he is happy to be free after 18 long and difficult years of prosecuting the case.
Naijaonpoint recalls the Special Offences Court, located in Ikeja, Lagos State, absolved Fani-Kayode of any guilt in a medical forgery case brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Olubumni Abike-Fadipe, in her ruling on Tuesday, held that the EFCC failed to establish any connection between Fani-Kayode and the offence.
The Judge ruled that the EFCC did not adequately establish a prima facie case against the former Minister, and therefore acquitted him of the offence.
Fani-Kayode was facing 12 a count charge brought against him by the EFCC following his alleged use of forged medical report(s), which he tendered before Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, where he was being prosecuted by the EFCC for an alleged ₦4.9billion fraud.
Reacting to the court judgement in a post on Facebook, Fani-Kayode ascribed praise to God.
He said with the judgement in place, he can now focus on family and loved ones.
That’s the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naijaonpoint. See you again tomorrow.