Nigerian Newspapers: 10 things you need to know Thursday morning

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

1. The Federal Government had voted N50bn in the 2024 budget for the implementation of its student loan scheme. This was contained in the details of the 2024 budget appropriation.

2. The withdrawal of the management of pilotage from Integrated Logistics Services Nigeria Limited has cost the Federal Government $161m, Nigerian Ports Authority has disclosed.he NPA, in a statement said that the monies were lost due to the constraint of not having the requisite technology to monitor the operations.

3. The House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excuse says the Nigeria Customs Service generates most of its revenue from the South-West. The chairman of the committee, Leke Abejide, asserted at the inauguration of committee members in Abuja yesterday.

4. The National Judicial Council has picked 11 Justices that will fill the vacant positions at the Supreme Court. The constitution prescribes 21 Justices for the apex court but the court currently has 10 Justices following the retirement of Justice Musa Dattijo in October. The NJC uploaded the names of the successful candidates on its website on Wednesday

5. The Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Bertrand Onuoha, has ordered a thorough investigation into the alleged attack on the Secretary of the state Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, David Mike. The secretary was allegedly attacked on his way to the office to paste copies of the petition said to have been filed on December 2, 2023.

6. Bauchi State Police Command has disclosed that the slain 500-level student at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) was stabbed while trying to retrieve his girlfriend’s handbag from some assailants. The police in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, SP Ahmed Wakil made this known on Wednesday.

7. The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa has said terrorism is yet to end despite huge budgetary allocations because the military did not have enough equipment to fight the terrorists. He also noted that civilians conniving with terrorists and supporting them with supplies have been frustrating the military’s efforts to end the war.

8. The prosecution announced the closure of its case on Wednesday in the trial of a former governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, and the finance commissioner during his tenure, Omadachi Oklobia before a Federal High Court in Abuja. Suswam and Oklobia are being tried by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in an 11-count amended charge of diverting N3.1bn belonging to Benue state.

9. The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has said the party has a blueprint for the political development of the Southeast. He also said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had approved the document for the Southeast and its integration into the nation’s mainstream politics.

10. The naira yesterday depreciated to N951.22 per dollar in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM). Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative exchange rate for NAFEM rose to N951.22 per dollar from N806.73 per dollar on Tuesday, indicating 18 percent or N144.49 depreciation for the naira.