Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Saturday, 6th November, 2021

Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Ezenwoko's Blog roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today Saturday, 6th November 2021.

The people make democracy tick. Public participation is at the core of democratic governance. All over the world, activists, leaders of thought, and social crusaders go all out to see to it that their nation adopts democracy as a system of governance. In Nigeria, some of them placed their lives on the line or even lost it just to see that citizens periodically get the chance to determine their political leaders. Thankfully, this paid off as there has been no holding back since 1999 when democracy returned to Nigeria as the fourth republic.

Unfortunately, a substantial part of the populace have consistently distanced themselves from the ritual of democracy despite the debarment of disenfranchisement which democracy guarantees. They do this through voter apathy that sees them take to other activities (even in the face of public holiday regime and restriction of movement) rather than head to their polling units to perform the very critical civic duty.

Barely 24-hours to the November 6th Anambra State Governorship election, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Alkali Usman Baba, has redeployed the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Joseph Egbunike.

Ezenwoko's Blog recalls that the IGP had deployed Egbunike and the DIG in charge of Operations, Acting DIG Zaki Ahmed, to oversee the security personnel and operations in the Anambra election.

Confirming the news on Friday, the South-East Zonal Police Public Relations Officer, Nkeiruka Nwode, said Egbunike was redeployed to another important assignment.

She stated that only Egbunike was moved to another assignment, refuting the report that both DIGs resigned from their positions over alleged plans by some politicians to compromise them.

The federal government has assured Nigerians it has no immediate plans to increase the pump price of petrol in the country.

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDRA) in a statement on Friday made the disclosure, stating that there is adequate stock of petroleum products.

The NMDRA statement follows panic in the market after members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) raised an alarm that private depot owners had increased the price of petrol by N9 per litre.

However while reacting to the development, the Chief Executive Officer of NMDRA, Engr. Farouk Ahmed submitted that the government has no immediate plans to increase the price of petrol.

The Federal Government has been issued a restraining order from accessing bank accounts of all state governments to withdraw the sum of $418million.

Ezenwoko's Blog reports that the alleged move by the Federal Government was halted in a ruling by Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday, November 5.

The court order was coming following an ex parte application argued by counsel to the 36 states, Jibrin Otukepa and Ahmed Raji, both Senior Advocates of Nigeria.

Six people who were kidnapped by gunmen on Tuesday morning from the University of Abuja Senior Staff Quarters have been rescued and reunited with their families.

In a short statement signed by the FCT Command's Public Relations Officer, DSP Josephine Adeh, on Friday, the victims were rescued through a joint operation with other security agencies.

Adeh also disclosed that the suspected kidnappers have been arrested and would be charged to court soon.

She said: “The FCT Police Command wishes to inform members of the public that all abducted victims of the university of Abuja were rescued and reunited with their families through a joint operation with other security agencies”.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has denied reports linking him with the ownership of the 21-storey building edifice which collapsed in Ikoyi, Lagos State on Monday.

The Vice President in a statement on Friday by his spokesperson, Laolu Akande said at no time did he buy the land or the building in question as been speculated in some quarters.

The statement also condoled with those who lost loved ones or who got injured in the unfortunate incident when the high-rise building under construction at Gerald road area of Ikoyi collapsed.

The self-confessed killer of a job seeker in Akwa Ibom State, Iniubong Umoren, Uduak Frank Akpan, has made a u-turn, pleading not guilty.

Akpan is standing a trial over the murder of Umoren, whom he allegedly lured under the guise of offering her a job, raped and murdered.

Recall that the suspect following his arrest and the beginning of the trial before Justice Bennett Illaumoh pleaded guilty to the murder case.

The suspect, however, while appearing before Justice Bassey Nkanang alongside others allegedly involved in the case pleaded not guilty to the two-count charges of murder and rape preferred against him.

Ondo State chapter of the Southwest Security Network Agency codenamed Operation Amotekun has arrested no fewer than eighteen bandit suspects in the state.

Over five hundred weapons consisting of guns, knives, and charms were recovered from the criminals who were allegedly planning to invade the state.

Ezenwoko's Blog understands that the suspects were nabbed in Ondo town, headquarters of Ondo West Local Government Area of the State.

Information made available to newsmen revealed that the suspects had taken off from Kastina State before arriving in Ondo State.

The former Governor of Gombe State, Senator Danjuma Goje, was reportedly subjected to humiliation on Friday in Gombe, the state capital.

According to the spokesman of the lawmaker, Lilian Nworie, her principal's vehicles were attacked by some political thugs around International Conference Centre on the Bauchi – Gombe Road.

Nworie stated Goje's vehicles were attacked with dangerous weapons as he was about to enter the state capital for a personal engagement.

The wife of late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Bianca Ojukwu, has lamented the continuous withdrawal of notable persons from All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, to another political party.

Having blamed APGA's present leader, Governor Willie Obiano for all the fallout, Ojukwu still expressed optimism that the party will do well on Saturday in the Anambra Governorship polls.

In her lamentation about the present situation of the party, Ojukwu said: “APGA is now like a secret cult, and this has reduced our once vibrant party to a shadow of its former self.”

That's the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Ezenwoko's Blog. See you again tomorrow.