Good morning Nigeria, Welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Sunday, 1st, October 2023.
Independence Day: Tinubu To Address Nigerians On Sunday
President Bola Tinubu is expected to make a nationwide broadcast on Sunday in commemoration of the country’s 63rd Independence Anniversary.
Naija News reports that the nationwide broadcast is part of the week-long activities lined up by the Federal Government to mark the country’s independence anniversary. 
Recall that President Tinubu returned to the country via the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja late last night, and was received by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila and other senior government officials.
Tinubu had attended the 78th Session of the United Nations Gemeral Assembly (UNGA), where he championed the need for Africa to surmount foreign exploitation to attain prosperity through democratic ideals
Fagbemi ‘Signs’ Emefiele’s Non-Prosecution Plea Bargain, Awaits Tinubu’s Approval
The Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, has reportedly signed the non-prosecution plea bargain of the embattled former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
Naija News reports that Emefiele is facing 20 counts of conspiracy and procurement fraud levelled against him by the Nigerian government.
However, this platform understands that the trial of the former CBN boss was stalled at the High Court of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) following his plan to enter into plea bargaining to get soft-landing.
It was learned that the non-prosecution plea bargain for Emefiele was being premised upon the former governor’s willingness to return N50 billion, which he had allegedly corruptly amassed.
Supreme Court Fixes Date To Hear Nnamdi Kanu’s Cases Against FG
The Supreme Court of Nigeria has fixed Thursday, October 5, 2023, for a hearing on two separate appeals filed by the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, against his continued detention in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The appeals to hear on Thursday are marked SC/CR/1394/2022, NNAMDI KANU V. FED. REP OF NIGERIA, and SC/CR/1391/2023, FED. REP OF NIG VS NNAMDI KANU.
The lead counsel of the detained leader of the pro-Biafra group, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), confirmed the hearing date in a statement on Saturday.
Confirming the hearing date, Ozekhome said: “The following appeal has been slated for hearing at the Supreme Court of Nigeria Abuja, on Thursday the 5th, October 2023 (SC/CR/1394/2022, NNAMDI KANU V. FED.REP OF NIGERIA V; and SC/CR/1391/2023, FED. REP OF NIG VS NNAMDI KANU.”
Tinubu’s Academic Records: US Court Reserves Ruling In Atiku’s Suit Against Chicago Varsity
Justice Nancy Maldonado of the District of Northern Illinois District has reserved a ruling in the case of Atiku Abubakar against the Chicago State University (CSU), seeking the records of President Bola Tinubu.
Recall that Atiku, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had filed a fresh motion to challenge Tinubu’s plea for CSU not to release privileged documents in his academic records.
The president, through his lawyers, had asked Maldonado to delay the order of Judge Jeffrey Gilbert, a magistrate, that ordered the university to release his academic records to Atiku.
In their full briefing to the court seeking a review of Judge Jeffrey Gilbert’s order, Tinubu’s lawyers asked the judge to save him from suffering severe and irreparable damage by placing an emergency hold on a recent order for his university records to be released.
FG Speaks On Niger Junta’s Attempt To Shoot Down Tinubu’s Plane
The Federal Government has denied social media claims that the military junta in Niger Republic prohibited the aircraft carrying President Bola Tinubu from flying in its airspace.
A report emerged on social media that the military junta in Niger had threatened the plane conveying Tinubu from his trip to New York in the United States and asked the plane to leave the country’s airspace.
The report also claimed that the president’s plane was reportedly pursued out of the West African country, and was said to have been at risk of being shot down.
The report added that the alleged hostility from the junta was said to be linked to the position of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) chaired by Tinubu on the recent coup in the country.
Former Governor Of Northern State Dumps PDP, Returns Party Card
The membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reduced following the decision of a former Governor of Kaduna State, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero to dump the party.
Naija News understands that in dumping the PDP, Yero also returned his membership card.
The former Governor made his decision known in a statement addressed to the chairman of his Kaura ward in which he noted that his resignation takes effect from September 30, 2023.
The former Governor in his letter did not give a specific reason for dumping the PDP but attached his membership card to the resignation letter.
Outraged Bandit Kingpin Responsible For Zamfara Varsity Abduction
The abduction of female students of Federal University Gusau in Zamfara State has been linked to an angry bandit kingpin who was reportedly sidelined.
According to Daily Trust, the bandit leader kidnapped the students in order to vent his anger for being sidelined by the various teams allegedly sent by the Federal Government to negotiate with bandits in Zamfara.
A source told the newspaper that the bandit kingpin decided the carry out the abduction to show his capability after the various negotiating teams engaged with different groups of bandits, but failed to meet him.
He, therefore, led his supporters to the hostel near the university and adjoining houses, during which they abducted an unspecified number of students and locals.
Police Investigate Alleged Poisoning Of Tinubu’s Minister
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Commissioner of Police (CP), Haruna Garba, has directed the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) to take over an ongoing investigation into the alleged poisoning of the Minister of Tourism, Lola Ade-John.
The Police Investigative Department was ordered by Garba to take over the case from the Mabushi Police Division, which had earlier begun a probe into the case.
Confirming the situation, the FCT Police Command Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, revealed to The Punch on Saturday that the police are investigating an alleged case about the minister.
“The CP has ordered the Mabushi Police Division that was investigating the matter to immediately transfer it to the SCID,” SP Adeh revealed
Tribunal Affirms Agbu Kefas As Elected Taraba Governor
The Taraba State Governorship Election Tribunal has affirmed the election of Agbu Kefas of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the validly elected governor of Taraba State.
The Justice GA Sunmonu-led three-man panel sitting in Jalingo dismissed the petition filed by the governorship candidate of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), Prof. Sani Yahaya, challenging the election of Kefas on two grounds for lack of merit.
Counsel to Governor Kefas, Sam Adda, while speaking to reporters on the judgement, said the petitioners could not prove the allegations they made and that those allegations did not exist.
Nigeria At 63: Atiku Sends Message To Nigerians
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, has asked Nigerians not to give up on pulling back the country from what he describes as uncertainty to a place of common safety.
The PDP flagbearer stated this in a statement on Saturday to celebrate Nigeria’s 63rd Independence Anniversary.
He said it is rather unfortunate that since the nation’s independence, the country has continued to struggle to manifest the dreams of the nation’s founding fathers.
Atiku noted that even though Nigeria gained her political independence upon the promise of abundant prosperity and the principle of social justice, it was rather sad that her 63rd anniversary comes at a crossroads in many aspects of national life.
That’s the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.
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