1) The Federal Government is gearing up to intensify its fight against insurgents and other criminal groups by acquiring 34 fighter jets. A team of experts, led by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, is currently in Italy to finalize the procurement. The team, which includes officials from the Ministries of Defence and Finance, took part in a Programme Management Review Meeting with Leonardo S.p.A in Rome.
2) Ahmed Yayari Mohammed, the Treasurer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), announced on Sunday that he has assumed the role of acting national chairman. Though he has not yet visited the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, he stated that he has begun his duties as interim chairman after being endorsed by a faction of the National Working Committee (NWC).
3) Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, a self-proclaimed agitator for the Yoruba Nation, has submitted a petition to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, seeking his backing for the establishment of a Yoruba nation. His spokesperson, Olayomi Koiki, revealed this in a post on Sunday via his X account (formerly Twitter).
4) A tragic accident involving a truck, a space wagon, and a motorcycle claimed the lives of a couple and another individual on the Sagamu-Ogijo road in Sagamu, Ogun State. The police spokesperson in the state, Omolola Odutola, reported the incident on Sunday in Abeokuta.
5) The Department of State Services (DSS) released two #EndBadGovernance protesters from detention in Kaduna over the weekend. However, as of press time, at least 125 protesters remain in custody, including 38 who were remanded by Justice Emeka Nwite in Abuja.
6) A 26-year-old man named Nura Mas’ud set his grandmother, Zuwaira Muhammad, on fire in Mu’azu village, Dan Gwanki Ward, Sule Tankarkar Local Government Area of Jigawa State. He explained that her constant remarks about his physical appearance and health upset him, despite his repeated warnings for her to stop.
7) The Federal Government, via the Nigerian Customs Service, will ground more than 60 private jets owned by prominent individuals in the country due to unpaid import duties amounting to several billions of naira. According to documents exchanged between the NCS and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, the enforcement operation is set to begin on October 14, 2024.
8) The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria is set to engage in discussions with Dangote Petroleum Refinery on Tuesday and Wednesday to finalize agreements regarding the cost and distribution of petrol from the refinery. On Sunday, it was revealed that the $20bn Lekki-based refinery has requested the Petroleum Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria to resubmit its application for petrol distribution.
9) Agents of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos have taken Simon Peter Oguejiofor, a Thailand returnee, into custody for importing 13.30 kilograms of heroin worth over N3.192bn. Oguejiofor was arrested on October 7, 2024, while trying to smuggle the drugs, which were concealed in six backpacks and packed inside two large suitcases, out of the airport.
10) In preparation for the handover on November 12, 2024, Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has urged the governor-elect, Senator Monday Okpebholo, to establish a panel to collaborate with his (Obaseki’s) transition committee to ensure a smooth transfer of power. Obaseki suggested that both panels hold their first meeting today, October 14, 2024.
