Nigerian Newspapers: 10 things you need to know Friday morning

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

1. The embattled Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudasiru Obasa, has declared that he remains the Speaker despite opposition from some members who insist that Mojisola Meranda should retain the position. Obasa arrived at the assembly complex earlier today, escorted by security operatives and accompanied by former principal officers and close associates.

2. The Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has directed Muslims in the country to start looking out for the new moon of Ramadan 1446 AH Friday, today.

3. Thirty-six members of the Lagos State House of Assembly loyal to Mojisola Meranda on Thursday reaffirmed that the removal of Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker was final, declaring Meranda as the legitimate leader of the House. The lawmakers convened at the Assembly garden, maintaining their stance based on their February 17 vote of confidence in Meranda, despite Obasa’s return.

4. The Kano State Government has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order the removal of Emir Aminu Ado Bayero from the Nasarawa Palace in Kano, citing the need to restore peace and stability. The government alleged that certain individuals were exploiting the emir’s continued presence in Nasarawa Palace to fuel unrest across the state.

5. The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has disclosed that the federal government is owing electricity generation companies and electricity distribution companies over N4 trillion in electricity subsidy. The minister made the disclosure on Thursday in Abuja at a Public Presentation of the National Integrated Electricity Policy and Nigeria Integrated Resource Plan.

6. The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Kaduna State, Alhaji Sadiq Mamman Lagos has said that former Governor Nasir El-Rufai, cannot decide on what will happen in 2027, but only God can decide. He also decried El-Rufai’s comment against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State.

7. Abductors of the female students of Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, JoSTUM, have demanded N40 million ransom to have them released. A friend of one of the victims, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed that “the kidnappers have started contacting the families of the girls for money”.

8. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday, arrested 19 suspected internet fraudsters at different locations in Benin City, Edo. EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, said this in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja. According to him, their arrest follows credible intelligence linking them to fraudulent internet activities.

9. Operatives of the Imo State Police Command have arrested two suspects in connection with two separate child trafficking cases even as they rejected N1m bribe offer. The spokesperson for the Imo State Police Command, DSP Henry Okoye, made the disclosures in a press statement on Thursday.

10. An Ikeja Special Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Thursday convicted and sentenced a part-time lecturer at Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Kolawole Muyiwa, to life imprisonment for raping a student. Justice Rahman Oshodi, who handed down the jail term, held that the prosecution was able to prove the ingredients of defilement against the convict beyond reasonable doubt.