Start your day with the latest updates from Nigerian Newspapers:
1. Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi has been appointed as the new Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) by President Bola Tinubu. The announcement was made by Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity.
2. In response to the violence involving members of the proscribed Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun has ordered a manhunt for their sponsors. As of now, 97 suspects have been arrested in connection to the killing of two policemen and injury of others.
3. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu expressed optimism about the economy’s trajectory following a report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 3.2% in the second quarter. This growth surpasses the previous year’s 2.51%.
4. Starting next year, individuals under 18 years old will not be allowed to sit for West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO) exams, according to the Federal Government’s recent announcement.
5. The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors initiated a seven-day warning strike to demand the rescue of Dr. Ganiyat Popoola, a doctor kidnapped in Kaduna eight months ago. The strike, which affected services nationwide, aims to draw attention to her plight.
6. Shafi’u Tureta, a media aide to former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, was arraigned by the police for allegedly defaming Sokoto State Governor Ahmad Aliyu. He was detained in August 2024 for spreading unauthorized media content and appeared in court on Monday.
7. Gunmen in Makurdi, Benue State, killed Theresa Awuhe and abducted Aribibia Fubara, a director with the Rivers State Board of Internal Revenue Service. The assailants left without taking anything after the attack.
8. Six suspected cultists and drug dealers were arrested by the Akwa Ibom State Police Command during a raid in Afaha Offiong, Nsit Ibom Local Government Area. The command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Timfon John, confirmed the arrests.
9. Christiana Idowu, a 300-level student at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, was kidnapped by unknown suspects along the Ikorodu-Yaba Road. The abductors are demanding a ransom of N3 million for her release, as shared by a family source.
10. The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) strongly criticized the harassment and intimidation of journalists by security and law enforcement agencies in Nigeria. The organization expressed concerns about the growing cases of attacks on media professionals and its impact on media freedom and democracy in the country.