1. Anambra State Government has arrested one Uzochukwu Okoli for giving out his underage daughter’s hand in marriage. Okoli was apprehended after his daughter reported to the state Ministry of Women and Social Welfare about the ill-treatment being meted out to her by her father and the man he forced her to marry.

2. The Army has taken a significant step to prevent the killing of its troops through ambush by terrorists and bandits. On Thursday, Chief of Army Staff, COAS Lt-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, hinted at the plan to take delivery of Mine-resistant Ambush-Protected, MRAP, vehicles in the next few weeks. This is to ensure safety of its personnel in the battle against terrorists and economic saboteurs.

3. Lagos State contributes N41 trillion (20 per cent) to the country’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP, Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Ope George, has said. According to him, despite many challenges, such as COVID-19 and EndSARS protest, the state has devised strategies to keep its economy afloat and boost investor confidence.

4. The suspected mastermind of the March 28, 2022, Kaduna-Abuja train attack, Ibrahim Abdullahi (aka Mande), and his accomplice, Auwal Ayuba, were on Thursday paraded by the Police. Also paraded were others believed to be terrorising motorists and passengers plying the Kaduna-Abuja Highway and residents within the axis.

5. Former Katsina State governor, Ibrahim Shema has defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC. Alhaji Shema was governor in the Northwest State between 2007 and 2015, under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

6. Suspected bandits have attacked Maraban Agyaro where they abducted the village heads of Kakangi and Kisaya villages, and killed eight villagers in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The attackers invaded the area around 8 am on Thursday, during which they also abducted four farmers who were on their respective farms.

7. A yet to be identified police officer has gunned down a Lagos resident who prevented him from jumping queue to buy fuel at a Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, filling station at Obalende, in the Ikoyi area of Lagos State. Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed that the officer who shot the victim has been identified.

8. Vice President Kashim Shettima on Thursday said President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms of the past one year “saved the life of the nation”. He described them as necessary given the poor state of Nigeria when he assumed office on May 29, 2023.

9. The Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State, on Thursday, commenced sitting on a N100bn lawsuit filed by indigenes of Okuama community in Ughelli North Local Government Area against the Nigeria Army, challenging the military invasion and destruction of the community.

10. Governors on Thursday sounded a note of caution to workers against unduly high expectations from the minimum wage negotiations. States will pay only implementable and sustainable wages, they said, but expressed commitment to improved salaries for workers.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have given the federal government a deadline of May 31 to come up with a new national minimum wage for workers.

The ultimatum was given despite the decision of the federal government to increase the salaries of civil servants by 35 percent.

The Federal Government also approved an increase in pension of between 20 percent and 28 percent for pensioners on the defined benefits scheme, with respect to the six consolidated salary structures.

The implementation of the new salary structure was backdated to January 1, 2024.

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has responded to the allegation that he is inciting people of the south-east against the federal government.

The former governor of Anambra said the allegation is a “baseless distraction” designed to tarnish his character.

He averred that his “focus is on fostering constructive dialogue and inclusivity, rather than engaging in divisive politics”.

Obi said he would not reduce himself to the level of those who wallow in ethnic politics.

“Regarding allegations of incitement against the government, I firmly reject these unfounded accusations aimed at tarnishing my character,” Obi wrote on X.

“My focus is on fostering constructive dialogue and inclusivity, rather than engaging in divisive politics.

“Claims of incitement are baseless distractions. I have always advocated for unity and advancement, refusing to partake in reactionary divisive politics.

“Worse still, I have never and can never descend so low as to base my political aspirations on any sectional or ethnic interest.”

THE INCITEMENT ALLEGATION

David Umahi, minister of works, on Wednesday accused Obi of inciting people of the south-east against the federal government over the Lagos-Calabar coastal road project.

Speaking during a stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos, Umahi said Obi implemented the demolition of structures for road infrastructure while he was governor of Anambra.

The minister condemned Obi for criticising the federal government over the project, adding that affected property owners are already being compensated.

Obi has repeatedly criticised the federal government for the construction, describing the project as a misplaced priority.

The former Anambra governor said the “insensitive” demolition of structures for the project was “heart-wrenching”.

Recently, the federal government commenced the construction of the 700-kilometre Lagos-Calabar coastal road, which is expected to run through the shoreline of beach resorts in Lagos, while traversing eight other states.

The project has elicited controversy over funding, and the businesses that would be affected during construction.

RESPONSE ON DEMOLITIONS AS ANAMBRA GOVERNOR

Responding to Umahi on demolition of structures, Obi said while he was governor, he clearly stated that all structures obstructing existing roads and lacking approval would be removed.

The former Anambra governor challenged anyone to show evidence on whether the “demolished structures on existing roads or ongoing businesses were not encroaching on the road and built without government approval”.

He added that it amounts to false equivalence to compare his actions as governor with the current Lagos-Calabar coastal road project.

Obi said he “never proposed creating a new road that would disrupt existing structures”.

“My actions were strategic, aiming to prioritise the repair and maintenance of existing infrastructure over projects that risked disruption and destruction,” Obi added.

“This approach aimed to safeguard the livelihoods of Nigerians and ensure the efficient use of resources.”