1. The House of Representatives on Thursday urged the Federal Government and the Nigerian Army to reopen the Banex Plaza in Abuja for business activities. It also urged the authorities to use modern technology, such as surveillance and closed circuit television, to identify and apprehend the perpetrators of the attack on Army personnel in the plaza recently.

2. There was jubilation in Kano State on Thursday as Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf announced the re-appointment of Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi as the new Emir of Kano. He made the announcement after signing the new emirate council law at Government House, Kano.

3. The Kogi Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja has scheduled judgment for Monday in the petition by Social Democratic Party, SDP, and its candidate in the last governorship election in Kogi, Murtala Ajaka. Ajaka and his party are challenging the declaration of Usman Ododo of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as the winner of the election held on November 11, 2023.

4. President Bola Tinubu has directed a comprehensive review of the recently announced governing boards of tertiary institutions. He expressed concerns that the constitutional Federal Character principle did not reflect in the nominations of members of the governing councils.

5. The House of Representatives, on Thursday, passed for third reading, a bill reverting to ‘Nigeria We Hail Thee’, the old National Anthem. The bill sponsored by the Majority Leader of the House, Prof Julius Ihonbvere, underwent an accelerated consideration on the floor of the House before passage.

6. The Federal Government said on Thursday that the country was poised to begin local production of military equipment with the recent signing of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria Bill by President Bola Tinubu. The Minister of Defence, Muhammad Badaru, said following the signing of the bill, the FG had been in talks with 50 local firms for local production of firearms in the country.

7. The grandmother of a 17-year-old girl identified simply as Favour has buried her daughter’s newborn baby alive in the Ogombo area of Ajah, Lagos State. It was gathered that when the grandmother observed that the teenager had gotten pregnant, she became angry and did everything possible to hide the pregnancy from members of the public.

8. An Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti Division on Thursday sentenced two persons, Benjamin Joseph (32), and Stephen Orban (25), to death by hanging for robbing two persons of cash and valuable items. The convicts were arraigned on December 30, 2022, on four counts bordering on conspiracy and armed robbery.

9. The Naira on Thursday depreciated in the parallel market to N1,515 per dollar from N1,495 per dollar on Wednesday. Similarly, the Naira depreciated to N1,485.66 per dollar in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market, NAFEM.

10. Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, has told the Federal Government that Nigerians were increasingly being frustrated by poverty and hunger, thus challenging the political office holders to rise to their responsibilities of protecting Nigerians and uplifting their living standards.

The Governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf, says the reinstatement of the deposed Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi, was a fulfilment of a campaign promise.

Yusuf, on Thursday, signed the bill repealing the State Emirate Council Law 2019 that gave the state five emirate councils.

The state House of Assembly on Thursday passed the bill for the dissolution of the four additional emirates created by the immediate past administration of former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje and the removal of all five emirs.

The governor signed the bill at the Government House on Thursday, the same day it was passed by the state lawmakers.

At the event, according to a statement by his spokesperson, Sanusi Bature, the governor said the new law provided for the reinstatement of Mr Lamido as Emir of Kano and removal of all the five Emirs in all the five emirates.

He added that it was also part of his campaign commitment to residents of the state.

“The law provided an opportunity for reinstatement of the 14th Emir of Kano Muhammad Sanusi II and removal of 15th Emir of Kano Aminu Ado Bayero, the Emir of Bichi Nasir Ado Bayero, Emir of Rano Kabiru Muhammad Inuwa, Emir of Karaye Ibrahim Abubakar II and Emir of Gaya Aliyu Ibrahim Abdulkadir.

“Governor Yusuf further articulated that the return of Muhammad Sanusi II back on throne will propel peace and prosperity, adding that the repeal of the council law was in realisation of his campaign commitments to restore the lost glory of the state and its rich cultural heritage.

“Governor Yusuf also issued 48 hours to Aminu Ado Bayero and four other former first class chiefs to vacate their palaces and hand over all emirates property to the office of the deputy governor.

“The governor expressed satisfaction that the new law will bring unity of the people of Kano and foster sustainable socio-economic development.

“He emphasised that the signing of the bill symbolizes the restoration of the revered legacy of the Kano emirate, which has withstood the test of time of over a thousand years.

“Furthermore, the governor urged the populace in the state to continue supporting his administration in delivering a multitude of infrastructural advancements that will propel Kano to greater heights.

“Everyone should go about his or her normal activities in the state, we have done what we believe is in the best interest of the state and its people”

“I want to inform the good people of Kano that today, we reappointed Sanusi Lamido Aminu Sanusi popularly known as Muhammadu Sanusi the II as the 16th Emir of Kano while the five former emirs are expected to vacate the palaces within 48 hours.

“The former emirs are to handover all properties in thier possession to the Commissioner for Local Government who doubles as the state Deputy Governor.

“Under the new Kano Emirate Repeal law 2024, Kano state is now under one emirate,” the statement said.

Siminalayi Fubara, Rivers State Governor, has congratulated His Royal Highness, Muhammad Sanusi II on his reinstatement as the 14th Emir of Kano.

In a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Rivers State Governor, Nelson Chukwudi, on Thursday, Fubara also expressed excitement upon hearing the news of the reinstatement of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Khalifa Sanusi II.

Fubara said the announcement also coincides with Sanusi’s visit to Rivers State, where he was supporting the administration’s efforts to reshape the state’s economic trajectory.

He noted that Sanusi’s reinstatement by the Kano State Government at this time shows that Muhammad Sanusi II’s dethronement on March 9, 2020, was against the wishes and aspirations of the people of Kano State.

Fubara said that act was “an unjust act to the millions of people who believed in his reign while on the revered throne”.

The Governor commended the Kano State Government for listening to the yearnings of the people, and acting to correct the wrongs of the past, and urged the people to give the Sarki of the ancient city of Kano the maximum support to succeed.

He also urged the spiritual leader of the Tijanniyah Sufi order of Nigeria, Emir Muhammad Sanusi II, to lead the over 50 million adherents of the Sufi order in Nigeria with love, wisdom and courage while bringing lasting peace, justice, equity and fairness to all in the city of Kano.

“I wish the 14th Emir of Kano a successful and fruitful reign that will bring progress and prosperity to the people of the State”, the Governor said.