Read today's newspaper headlines [Tuesday, June 14, 2016]

For today, June 14, 2016

THE PUNCH NEWSPAPER

EFCC seizes Diezani’s N3.58bn Abuja home

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has seized a mansion worth N3.58bn ($18m at the official exchange rate of N199 to a dollar) in the Asokoro area of Abuja allegedly belonging to the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

The acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, said this during an interview with Al-Jazeera, a Qatar-based news network.

Magu, in the interview, monitored by our correspondent on Monday, noted that the items in the house included jewellery, furniture and a bulletproof gym worth about $2m. READ MORE

Plateau youths protest planned creation of grazing zones

Youths in Plateau State have warned the state government not to designate any land in the state as grazing reserves.

The youths, under the aegis of Plateau G-17 Youths for Peace and Progress Forum, said that the proposed grazing reserves were not in the interest of the people of the state.

The group, who staged a protest at the Plateau State Government House on Monday, asked Governor Simon Lalong to delist the state from the states said to have contributed land for grazing reserves in the state. READ MORE

Drama as Sheriff takes over PDP secretariat

After three failed attempts, the former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Ali Sheriff, at 1:01pm on Monday gained entry into the national secretariat of the party.

The ex-chairman had early in the morning made spirited attempts to go into the party premises to resume work as chairman.

He was, however, restrained from doing so by a detachment of regular and riot policemen as well as officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. READ MORE

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THE NATION NEWSPAPER

Sheriff seizes PDP hqtrs as Makarfi writes INEC

After a short break, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders returned yesterday to their bitter struggle for the party’s control.

Ousted National Chairman Ali Modu Sheriff took over the secretariat in Abuja, proclaiming himself the authentic leader and dismissing the Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee as an illegal body.

But the Makarfi camp wrote to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), demanding to be recognised as the authentic leadership of the party. READ MORE

EFCC freezes N126b in 120 accounts

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has frozen over N126billion in the accounts of some suspects in order not to jeopardise investigations, the agency said yesterday.

More than 120 bank accounts are affected by the freeze order.

About N126,563,481,095.43 was temporarily seized by the EFCC pending the conclusion of corruption-related cases.

Other cash and assets under Interim Forfeiture is $9,090,243,920.15, seized from suspects facing trial or under investigation. READ MORE

Olubadan intervenes in Oyo govt, labour row

Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has appealed to labour leaders to call off the ongoing strike to give room for dialogue.

Failure to heed the call, he said the state might be forced to apply the no-work no-pay rule after Tuesday.

The governor spoke during an interview with Government House correspondents after featuring on a live Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State television programme, , in Ibadan, on Sunday. READ MORE

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VANGUARD NEWSPAPER

Retirements: Army, 38 officers in war of words

The Army high command and 38 senior officers retired last week were, yesterday, locked in a war of words over the latter’s mode of disengagement.

While the Army and Defence Minister, Mansur Mohammed Dan Ali, said the officers were indicted for what they described as political and monetary corruption, some of the officers said they were not given fair hearing, arguing that they were neither involved in the 2015 elections nor in procurement of arms and ammunition used in the war against Boko Haram. READ MORE

Hijab: Religious crisis looms in Osun

As students of public primary and secondary schools in Osun State resume today after June 12 public holiday, there are strong indications that Christians and Muslims in the state are poised for serious showdown over the use of hijab by female Muslim students in public schools.

The State Muslim Community had, weekend, urged the Osun State chapter of Christian Association of Nigeria not to throw the state into religious crises but to respect the judgment of the State High Court on the issue. READ MORE

Niger Delta Avengers now ready for dialogue

The Niger Delta Avengers NDA, Monday, agreed to dialogue with the Federal Government, suspending its “Operation Red Economy”, which saw the militant group almost crippling the oil industry since February when it commenced bombing of oil and gas installations in the Niger Delta region.

The decision is contained in a statement on its website signed by its spokesman, Mudoch Agbinibo. READ MORE

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THE GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER

Avengers now ready for talks

In what amounts to a change of heart, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) yesterday agreed to enter into dialogue with the Federal Government on issues affecting the Niger Delta region.

In a statement on their website which was signed by the spokesman, Brig. Gen. Mudoch Agbinibo, the group which has nearly crippled crude oil exports since it began its attacks on pipelines said: “The high command of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) is using this medium to restate that there are no new items to put on the table for dialogue, we only want a genuine attitude and conducive atmosphere that will make us commit to any proposed dialogue and lasting peace talks. READ MORE

Nigeria grapples with first full-year recession in 29 years

The Nigerian economy faces first full-year recession in 29 years, after output contracted 0.4 per cent in the first quarter from a year earlier, according to Mark Bohlund, Bloomberg’s Africa and Middle East Economist.

Bohlund, in his comprehensive assessment of the challenges being faced by the Nigerian economy, concludes that a technical recession – two successive quarters of contraction – could come as soon as the second quarter ends. The first time the country recorded a full-year recession was in 1987.

The Bloomberg independent analysis of the Nigerian economy used data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other data agencies to show that the economy is at the risk of experiencing its first full-year recession due to drop in oil output to a 27-year low and “paralysis” in other sectors as a result of fuel and foreign-exchange shortages. READ MORE

Drama as Sheriff claims PDP chair till 2018

After several failed attempts to gain access into the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ali Modu Sheriff, yesterday was allowed into the Wadata Plaza building and he announced he would remain party chairman till 2018.

Addressing a press conference, shortly after taking over, Sheriff said the ex parte injunction issued by a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt that barred him from acting as chairman had lapsed after 14 days.

He announced that the Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee was ‎null and void because it was set up by an illegal convention. READ MORE