Read today's newspaper headlines [Monday, June 27, 2016]

For today, June 27, 2016

VANGUARD NEWSPAPER

Why we’re not probing APC members — SGF

The All Progressives Congress, APC-led Federal Government is not focused on probing members of the party, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Mr. Babachir Lawal, has said.

The SGF, in an interview, weekend, affirmed that the government would, in the light of declining revenue, reprioritise the 2016 budget with emphasis on the administration’s priority projects and would not prioritise the constituency projects inputted by the National Assembly. READ MORE

Modu Sheriff: Bull in a China shop, says PDP

Edo State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, took a swipe at former National Chairman of the Party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, describing him as a bull in a China shop.

This came as facts emerged, yesterday, night that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, would not monitor Wednesday’s governorship primary being organized by Ali Modu Sheriff’s faction of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State. READ MORE

Liquidity pressure: Banks borrow N930bn from CBN

Liquidity pressure heightened in the banking industry, last week, forcing banks’ borrowings from Central Bank of Nigeria’s Standing Lending Facility, SLF, to rise 230.61 per cent to N929.52 billion.

Conversely, the Standing Deposit Facility, SDF, has equally declined 61.76 per cent to N227.44 billion during the week, indicating that banks are also withdrawing heavily from their deposits in CBN as the liquidity pressure bites harder. READ MORE

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THE NATION NEWSPAPER

$15b arms deals: Report indicts ex-military chiefs

Some former military chiefs are likely to be invited over some suspicious arms contracts, The Nation learnt yesterday.

They are among those indicted by the Presidential Committee on the procurement of arms and equipment in the Armed Forces, a source said.

The committee is ready with its report on arms deals in the Army. READ MORE

Saraki urges court to quash case against him, Ekweremadu, others

All is set for today’s arraignment of Senate President Bukola Saraki and three others for alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Rules 2015(as amended).

The others are Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, the immediate past Clerk to the National Assembly, Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa and the Deputy Clerk to the National Assembly, Benedict Efeture.

The four are billed to face trial at a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Jabi District Abuja, which is a stone’s throw from the Code of Conduct Tribunal where the Senate President is responding to some charges. READ MORE

Dangote: we lost N50b to ‘flexible exchange’ policy

Dangote Group President Aliko Dangote said at the weekend that his company lost N50 billion to the flexible foreign exchange policy.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) last week scrapped the dual exchange rate policy, creating a single window for the trade in naira.

Dangote spoke when Vice President Yemi Osinbajo toured the project sites of Dangote Fertiliser and Dangote Refinery in Lekki, Lagos.

Dangote said the $161 million his companies bought during that period from the CBN merely reflected the size of his business and did not represent preferential treatment. READ MORE

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THE PUNCH NEWSPAPER

EFCC seizes 29 properties from three ex-Air Force chiefs

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has seized 29 properties from the immediate past Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu; a former Chief of Accounts and Budgeting in NAF, Air Vice Marshal Jacob Adigun (retd.); and a former Director of Finance and Budget, Air Commodore Olugbenga Gbadebo (retd.).

No fewer than 11 properties were seized from Amosu; 12 were seized from Adigun and six from Gbadebo.

Our correspondent learnt on Sunday that the properties included three plazas, six mansions, a quarry, a hospital, a block of flats, animal farms, a school, two hotels, some uncompleted buildings and some parcels of land.

According to documents made available exclusively to The PUNCH, the properties were acquired mostly in 2014.

The properties seized from Adigun were said to be worth N9.6bn. READ MORE

FG may redeploy North-East troops to N’Delta

There are strong indications that the Defence authorities will withdraw some war-tested soldiers from the North-East and deploy them in the Niger Delta as part of efforts to curb the attacks on oil installations in the region.

It was gathered on Sunday that the troops would form part of the newly formed Operation Delta Safe, which was formed to replace the defunct Operation Pulo Shield in the oil rich region.

The source was, however, not specific on when the troops would be deployed in the Niger Delta for the intensified campaign against pipeline attacks and oil theft. READ MORE

Abuja woman turns six girls to sex slaves

A 28-year-old woman, Ifeoma Daniel, has been arrested by the police in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, for allegedly turning six girls to sex slaves.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Daniel, who hails from Ahiazu Mbaise, Imo State, and a suspected accomplice, Collins Madueke, 28, were arrested in the Apo area by the Special Intelligence Response Team of the Inspector-General of Police.

Our correspondent gathered that the six victims, whose ages ranged from 19 to 22, were found locked up in a room before the police rescued and handed them over to officials of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and other related matters. READ MORE

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NEITI, EFCC go after oil firms over unremitted $11 billion

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will soon embark on probe of erring oil firms in Nigeria over unremitted oil revenue to the Federal Government.

To ensure that anyone found guilty of misappropriation of the country’s oil revenue is prosecuted, Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and the EFCC have formed alliance to study the reports and identify areas where financial crimes have been committed against the nation.

The Executive Secretary, NEITI, Waziri Adio, who disclosed this during a courtesy visit to Rutam House, headquarters of The Guardian in Lagos, lamented that while the agency has been churning out reports since 2004, it is regrettable that no one has either been tried or convicted. READ MORE

Afenifere angry with security agencies over Lagos, Ogun killings

The Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere has expressed lack of confidence in the security agents as it said the Nigerian state is shamelessly failing the Yoruba nation in the area of capacity to guarantee its safety.

The reaction is coming on the heels of the failure of security agents to make any arrest in respect to the spate of killings of innocent people by suspected militants in Ishawo, Elepete and Igbo Olomu, the border line communities in Ogun and Lagos states, which occurred on Thursday night.

The group, while reacting to the recent attack in which over 50 people were feared dead when militants swooped on Elepete and Igbo Olomu, said it was a course for concern because same militants, about a week ago killed 15 people in Imushin community in Ogijo area of Ogun State. READ MORE

Pressure for second referendum mounts in UK

Pettioners yesterday said that European Union’s (EU) rules were triggering moves for a second referendum, after United Kingdom (UK) voters forced the country’s exit from the union.

Electronic documents made available to The Guardian yesterday showed that about 3.3 million young Britons have signed the petition so far. The ongoing movement is anchored on what the petitioners say are EU’s existing protocol on referendum.

“We the undersigned call upon Her Majesty’s Government (HMG) to implement a rule that if the remain or leave vote is less than 60 per cent based on a turnout less than 75 per cent there should be another referendum,” the protesters said in an online document sent to the Petitions Department of the UK Parliament. READ MORE