Good morning! Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers:
1. No fewer than 11 farmers were killed by suspected members of the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) during an attack in the southern part of the Borno State on Saturday. ISWAP fighters had stormed Sabon-Gari, a remote village in Damboa Local Government Area of the State on Saturday. The village is located about 125 kilometres from Maiduguri, the State capital.
2. FIFA responded to the invasion of Ukraine on Sunday by telling Russia to play home matches at neutral venues and banning its national flag and anthem from matches. The governing body of world football said Russian teams would play as the “Football Union of Russia”.
3. Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian nuclear deterrent forces to be put on high alert as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters the third day. This was coming at the trail of leading NATO powers “aggressive statements” on Sunday, threatening hard-hitting financial sanctions against Russia to force them out of Ukraine.
4. Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Sunday, intercepted at least, 649,300 capsules of Tramadol 225mg and €809,850 among consignments from Pakistan, Austria and Italy at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
5. About eight worshippers, including a pastor, have been abducted by terrorists while attending a Church service at Salama Baptist Church in a village called Gidigori in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State, on Sunday.
6. One person, simply identified as Lekan, was reportedly killed as a rival cult group clashed in Osogbo, Osun State capital on Sunday. It was gathered that a group of four young men were riding a motorcycle around the Oluode area of Osogbo when another group suddenly attacked them.
7. Rivers State governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has said the comment by the former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, that he would always clinch the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, meant taking delegates of the party for granted. Wike also said the outcome of the PDP presidential primaries would shock Nigerians.
8. The Federal Government says governments of Hungary and Romania have approved visa free access to all Nigerians coming from Ukraine and arrangements for accommodation and feeding before evacuation is arranged. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed this in a statement signed by its Permanent Secretary, Mr Gabriel Aduda, on Sunday, in Abuja.
9. NDLEA has launched a manhunt for two of the drug kingpins that mobilized deadly attacks on operatives of the anti-drug agency on Saturday in Lagos. Confirming the manhunt, Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi said, “investigation is ongoing, while we are on the trail of two of the drug kingpins who mobilized the attack on our men on Saturday”.
10. The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine may further prolong the over three-week scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, in Nigeria, as bulk of the refined products coming into the country from the warring region and its adjoining areas are likely to face some delays.