Newspaper Headlines Today: Recovered Abacha loot hits $334m

The amount of money stolen by late General Sani Abacha and his cronies which have been repatriated to Nigeria by the United States has hit over $334.7 million, the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Leonard, said on Tuesday.

The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, took a new dimension as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu, met with Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and some PDP governors in London. It was gathered that Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, his Abia State counterpart, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu and other PDP stalwarts loyal to Wike attended the meeting.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Bayero University, Kano, BUK branch, on Tuesday slammed the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu over claims that the Federal Government has resolved the contentious issues except the payment of the six month withheld salaries.

The Edo State Police Command has announced the killing of a suspected kidnapper at Izuala forest in the Ovia North East Local Government Area of the State. The State Command’s Deputy Public Relations Officer, ASP Jennifer Iwegbu, explained that the exploit of the command in killing the suspect followed a complaint by one Mr Moses Aisosa of Eyaen community.

The four Catholic Church Reverend Sisters kidnapped last Sunday at Okigwe-Umulolo axis in Okigwe Local Government Area of Imo State have been released. Secretary-General of Sisters of Jesus The Saviour (Generalate), Zita Ihedoro, disclosed this to newsmen in Owerri, yesterday.

Some allies in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar’s camp, yesterday, met in Abuja to chart a way forward and seek a quick resolution to the internal wrangling within the party. A top PDP leader in Atiku’s camp said Wike was underrating the capacity of the North, insisting that the party wouldn’t dismantle its leadership because of the Rivers governor.

The Labour Party’s Gubernatorial Candidate in Abia, Dr Alex Otti, has unveiled his running mate, Mr Ikechukwu Emetu, a 38-year-old engineer. Otti also inaugurated his Campaign Council, with a former House of Representatives member, Chief Nnanna Ngwu, as the Chairman.

President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, ordered security agents to hunt terrorists within Nigeria’s borders. He spoke at the Citizens Summit for National Integration, Peace and Security organized by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations and Partners, held in Abuja.

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has suspended the recruitment process of constables into the Nigeria Police Force. The commission did this less than 24 hours after the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, fumed over an advertorial on recruitment.

The Jama’atu Nasirl Islam (JNI) has called on the federal government and the leadership of the Nigerian Army to as a matter of fairness and justice, hasten the prosecution of the culprits responsible for Sheikh Muhammad Goni Aisami’s death, and execute judgement. In a statement issued by its Secretary-General, Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, JNI stressed that the judgement must not only be done but should be seen to have been done.

The Governing Board of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has instituted an investigative panel to probe the death of its North-West Zonal Director, Julius Haruna. The secretary of the board in Abuja, Tam Tamunokonbia, in a statement on Tuesday, said Haruna died in the commission’s office on Wednesday in Katsina State.