Index to Nigerian Newspapers

Gunmen invaded Gbagyi Villa, a community on the way to Kaduna Refinery, on Monday night, killing one person and kidnapping a pregnant wife, children and others. Nigerian army personnel engaged them in a heavy gunfight that lasted over an hour. The wife of the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Plateau State Deputy Governor, Dorcas Silas Vem, was released and a Director of the MoH, Dr. Simon Audu, regained his freedom. Simon Lalong, Plateau State Governor, has vowed to make the state uninhabitable for criminals following recent cases of ritual killings and kidnapping. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged security agencies to invite leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for questioning over their alleged connections with terrorists.

Powershift agitators in Ekiti State, under the auspices of Ekiti Concerned Citizens' Group (ECCG), have described politicians of Ekiti South extraction that accept to play second fiddle as traitors. They have insisted that the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other parties must pick their candidates from Ekiti South Senatorial District for the June 18, 2022 governorship election. The PDP has warned its members in Ekiti to avoid distraction and focus on the task of unseating the ruling party.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has nullified the ward delegate congresses it conducted in Ekiti over perceived irregularities and will use the statutory/automatic delegate list to conduct its governorship primary. Unconfirmed reports indicate that no fewer than 1,200 automatic/ statutory delegates will vote at the primary. The NWC has also nominated governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel, as chairman of the committee mandated to elect the party's candidate for the election. The Ekiti State Police Command has warned the opposition PDP and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to shun violence before, during and after the parties' governorship primaries slated for today and Thursday. The Commissioner of Police, Tunde Mobayo, has deployed additional manpower to monitor the shadow polls and warned against any form of sharp electoral malpractices. He has also confirmed the approval of additional manpower from the Force Headquarters, Abuja, to complement and support the personnel on ground.

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Malam Muhammad Bello has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a statement from the Minister's chief press secretary, Anthony Ogunleye, on Friday. The statement said the Minister had mild symptoms of a sore throat, fever, and a mild runny nose on December 28 and had taken a COVID-19 test.

The North-East Development Commission (NEDC) has held a stakeholders' consultative forum for its ambitious development initiative, the North-East Stabilisation and Development Master Plan (NESDMP). The NESDMP seeks to identify the needs of the region and spell out strategies, policies and remedial interventionist measures for addressing them on a short and long-term basis. The Commission consulted relevant stakeholders in 112 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and with humanitarian, development and peacebuilding actors, representatives of member states, CSOs/CBOs, and private and federal legislators from the zone. The North East Development Commission (NEDC) is developing a Master Plan to promote and facilitate the physical and socio-economic development of the North East region. At the Wednesday, January 26, 2022 interaction in Abuja, the NEDC presented an overview and current status of the Master Plan and sought to harness inputs from the MDA's and security agencies for inclusion in the plan. The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, and the six-member state governments in the region have been providing maximum cooperation and support. At the stakeholders' engagement forum on the Master Plan, Zulum urged state governors in the region to work together towards actualisation of the plan.