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Nigerian Newspapers: 10 things you need to know Wednesday morning

Good morning! Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers:

1. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved salary increment of between 30 and 80 per cent for personnel of Nigerian armed forces. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.

2. A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Tuesday, dismissed a suit filed by the National Democratic Congress, NDC, challenging some provisions of the 2026 Electoral Act. Specifically, the provision challenged by one of the main opposition parties is the qualification and disqualification of candidates for elective offices.

3. A gripping account of how the self-styled Director-General of the fake Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, PFIPC, Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew, swindled his friend of N400million was given on Tuesday. A businessman, Mr. Gbenga Collins, told the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the activities of the purported agency that Adeyemi allegedly lured him with the promise of a lucrative government contract.

4. Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike and former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi yesterday clashed over John Cardinal Onaiyekan’s position on the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration. Amaechi, who is Wike’s predecessor as governor of Rivers State, defended Cardinal Onaiyekan over the backlash that followed his criticism of the administration, saying the Presidency should address the issues he raised instead of attacking him.

5. The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors on Tuesday stepped back from its planned nationwide strike following a high-level meeting with the Federal Government at the State House, Abuja, where both sides reached agreements on key welfare, salary and promotion issues. The breakthrough came after a three-hour meeting convened by the President’s Chief of Staff, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, with senior government officials and the leadership of the association.

6. An Assistant Superintendent of Police, ASP, Bala Wakili, has been killed during a gun battle between security operatives and suspected bandits in Kebbe Local Government Area of Sokoto State. The late officer was attached to the Kebbe Police Division. It was gathered on Tuesday that the attackers invaded Girkau and Zugu villages at about 4 p.m. on Monday, where they rustled an unspecified number of livestock.

7. The Defence Headquarters has expanded its surrender policy for non-state actors nationwide. Previously limited largely to terrorists and bandits operating in the North-East, North-West and North-Central, the policy now extends to armed groups in the South-East, South-South and South-West.

8. A US-based Nigerian basketball player, Daniel Adegboyega, has been charged with first-degree rape by forcible compulsion in Alabama after police accused him of sexually assaulting a woman in his apartment. According to a report by WVTM 13 on Monday, sighted by journalists on Tuesday, the 21-year-old was arrested in July by the Jacksonville Police Department at his apartment in Jacksonville, Alabama.

9. Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, on Tuesday declared that the 2027 presidential election had “already been concluded,” expressing confidence that the North would deliver at least 95 per cent of its votes to President Bola Tinubu. Sani made the remarks during the flag-off of the 122-kilometre Kaduna–Birnin Gwari Road project.

10. Borno State Police Command has arrested five suspects for allegedly processing and selling meat from dead cattle to unsuspecting members of the public in Maiduguri. The command said the suspects were apprehended on July 29 by operatives of its Violent Crime Response Unit, also known as the Crack Squad, following credible intelligence.