1. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has withdrawn its earlier circular directing commercial banks, mobile money operators, and other financial institutions to implement the National Cybersecurity Levy. The move was primarily informed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive and widespread concerns raised by Nigerians.

2. There are indications that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to receive the scorecard of members of his cabinet this week. The administration will be one year old next week, but the ministers will clock nine months in office tomorrow, having been sworn in on August 21 last year.

3. Troops of the Nigerian Army have rescued 383 women and children abducted by terrorists and insurgents in Sambisa Forest in Borno State. Those rescued include women and children who had been held in the forest for 10 years.

4. Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has visited victims of Kano mosque arson. Obi, who arrived in Kano, on Sunday, went straight from the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport to the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, where some of the victims are receiving treatment.

5. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has offered a fresh appointment to Ajuri Ngelale, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity. Ngelale was named Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action and secretary of the newly established 25-man committee to oversee Green Economic Initiatives.

6. A helicopter carrying Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi was involved in “an accident” amid poor weather conditions on Sunday, state media reported, with a search underway and no news yet on his condition.

7. A man, Taiwo Badejo, has allegedly stabbed his friend, identified simply as Monday, to death over N2,500 debt in the Oko Oba area of Lagos State. It was gathered that Badejo and Monday were arguing over the money when the argument degenerated into a fight between them on Friday.

8. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has declared a couple, Kazeem and Rashidat Owoalade, wanted for running a cocaine cartel from India. This followed the arrest of four members of the syndicate in Lagos, where a Sports Utility Vehicle was recovered and two houses traced to them were sealed for forfeiture to the Federal Government.

9. Organised Labour has told the Federal Government to perish any thought of offering N100,000 as the new minimum wage. It also asked the government to be serious with negotiations on the issue of workers’ wages, insisting that it used the lowest minimum in arriving at N615,000 as the new minimum wage.

10. Olubadan-designate, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin’s nomination is awaiting Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde’s approval, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Commissioner, Segun Olayiwola said on Sunday. He disclosed that his nomination as the next Olubadan of Ibadanland has scaled through all the stages, except the final approval.

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has died in a helicopter crash at age 63, Iranian news outlets have reported. Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was also among those killed, along with seven others.

His death comes at a fraught moment in the Middle East, with war raging in Gaza. The helicopter crashed weeks after Iran launched a drone-and-missile attack on Israel in response to a deadly strike on its diplomatic compound in Damascus.

Hardliner Raisi became president in a historically uncompetitive election in 2021. Previously the chief justice, he has overseen a period of intensified repression of dissent in a nation convulsed by youth-led protests against clerical rule.

Raisi was the second-most powerful person in the Islamic Republic’s political structure after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khomeini. The Iranian Constitution mandates that, in the case of the death of the president, the first vice president shall assume with the approval of the Supreme Leader.

Iranian state broadcasters are airing Islamic prayers in between their news broadcasts following the announcement that President Ebrahim Raisi and eight others died after the helicopter they were traveling in crashed in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province.

Iran’s government convened an “urgent meeting” on Monday, according to Iranian state news agency IRNA.

A photo shared by IRNA showed that the chair that Raisi usually sits in was vacant and draped with a black sash in memory of the president.

Search teams have yet to find the missing helicopter with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi aboard.

The chopper, which also had Hossein Amirabdollahian, foreign minister; Malek Rahmati, governor of East Azarbaijan province; and Hojjatoleslam Al Hashem, Tabriz Friday prayer leader, on board, crash-landed Sunday afternoon in the Varzaqan region.

Over 20 search and relief teams were immediately dispatched to the area to find the missing helicopter, including drones and sniffer dogs.

The Iranian armed forces have also deployed commando units and special forces to assist in the search operation. However, foggy weather and the impassability of the area have frustrated efforts.

Babak Yektaparast, the spokesperson for Iran’s emergency services, said an emergency helicopter was dispatched to assist but was forced to turn back due to the heavy fog as it could not land in the area.

“Unfortunately, continuing aerial operations was no longer possible due to intense fog across the region,” he said, adding that more ambulances were dispatched.

Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, urged citizens to pray for the president and everyone aboard the chopper.

“The  Iranian nation must not be concerned or worried; there will be no disruption in the work of the country,” Khamenei said.

Iraq and Armenia, both neighbouring countries, have offered support in locating Raisi.

The US said it is watching reports and added that President Joe Biden has been briefed.