Nigerian Newspapers: 10 things you need to know this Friday morning

1. President Muhammadu Buhari has approved N13.3 billion for community policing across Nigeria.

The Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, who disclosed this during the virtual meeting of National Executive Council, NEC, said, Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele, some governors, among others were appointed to coordinated the utilization of the funding.

2. The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has withdrawn its invitation to the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, following protests from some lawyers.

The National Executive Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association during its meeting resolved that the invitation El-Rufai, by the 2020 Annual General Conference Planning committee be withdrawn and decision communicated to the Governor.

3. Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has described the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA’s decision to withdraw its invitation to Governor Nasir El-Rufai as parochial, myopic and jejune.

MURIC described the decision as is high level prejudice, adding that NBA as a group of learned literati should know better.

4. The Islamic Movement in Nigeria, IMN, otherwise known as Shiites, has commended the National Executive Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, for withdrawing its invitation to Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State to speak at the association’s annual general conference coming up later this month.

IMN noted that Governor El-Rufai is the most unsuitable person to talk to a body of learned men considering his legendary disrespect for the rule of law, blatant abuses of fundamental rights and intolerance to opposing views.

6. The Federal Government says the nation is working with the World Health Organisation (WHO), GAVI and others on therapeutics and vaccines against the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said this on Thursday in Abuja at the 59th joint national briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, said that Nigeria had as of August 19, 2020, crossed the 50,000 landmarks and recorded 50,488 COVID-19 cases, out of 366,244 samples tested so far, of which 37,304 persons were successfully treated and discharged.

7. The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has said investigational drug trials would soon begin in 22 sites across 13 states in the country.

PTF’s National Coordinator, Sani Aliyu, who said this during a media briefing on Thursday, however, did not reveal the states, but noted that all necessary regulatory approvals had already been secured for the trials.

8. President Muhammadu Buhari has called for the immediate release of Malian president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and a return to constitutional order in the West African nation.

According to the Nigerian leader, the removal of the Malian President could have “devastating consequences” for the country and the West African sub-region.Today, Mali has not only descended into political chaos but also socio-economic and security disaster with potentially tragic consequences to Mali and the sub-region,” he explained.

9. A United Kingdom Court has jailed the Chief Executive Officer of Rahamaniyya Oil and Gas Limited, Abdulrahman Bashir, after he was found guilty of breaching multiple orders of the court in a pending suit instituted by Sahara Energy Resources Limited.

Justice Butcher of England and Wales High Court handed a 10-month jail sentence to the oil mogul, and has ordered him to comply with requests for the release of 6,400.69 metric tonnes of gas oil to Sahara Energy Resource Ltd. or its agent from Rahamaniyya Oil and Gas Ltd.

10. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has stated that it would commence a probe of the Nigeria Delta Development Commission, NDDC, over allegations bordering on corruption.

EFCC said it would begin investigation into various corruption allegations against the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio and the acting Managing Director of NDDC’s acting Managing Director, Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei.