Read today's newspaper headlines [Monday, January 25, 2016]

Find out what is making headlines all over the country from the covers of The Punch, Vanguard, The Guardian and more.

For today, Monday, January 25, 2016:

VANGUARD NEWSPAPER

FG ends kerosene subsidy, pegs price at N83 per litre

ABUJA — The Federal Government, weekend, hiked the price of Household Kerosene (HHK) to N83 per litre from N50 per litre, thereby, officially ending subsidy on the product. The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA , in its product pricing template released, weekend, however, stated that the N83 per litre price applies only to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), meaning that other petrol stations and dealers can sell higher than the stipulated amount.

El-Rufai inaugurates commission of inquiry, Friday

KADUNA—Governor Nasir El Rufai of Kaduna State, will next Friday inaugurate the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Zaria clash between the Nigeria Army and the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, IMN.Consequently, the governor has appointed Malam Yusuf Ali, SAN, as counsel to the Commission of Inquiry.

Anti corruption war remains our priority —FG

LAGOS — The war against corruption will remain a priority of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration irrespective of mutterings from home, the Federal Government said yesterday. Speaking during an interactive session with newsmen in Lagos, Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, bemoaned the effect of corruption in the development of the country, saying the N55 billion allegedly received by 21 persons from the Office of the National Security Adviser was more than the N52 billion earmarked by the former government for zonal intervention programmes. READ MORE:

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THE PUNCH NEWSPAPER

Budget: N’Assembly plans to review oil benchmark

Members of the Senate and the House of Representatives are in a quandary over the crude oil benchmark to recommend for the 2016 budget, The PUNCH learnt on Sunday. The N6.07tn budget has had two days of debate on the general principles so far and will likely be referred to the committee stage on conclusion of the second reading this week.

Naira devaluation unlikely as MPC meets today

Although experts have clamoured for the devaluation of the naira in the light of the nation’s depleting foreign exchange reserves, the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Monetary Policy Committee may not do so during its first bi-monthly meeting for this year, it has been learnt. READ MORE:

Fresh N22.7bn charges: EFCC lines up 25 witnesses against Tompolo, others

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has filed fresh 22 charges against an ex-Niger Delta militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, and 12 others. The charges, which were filed on Friday at a Federal High Court in Lagos, bordered on stealing, advanced fee fraud and money laundering to the tune of N22,765,900,000.

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THE GUARDIAN

Minister seeks on-air personalities’ support for anti-graft war

MINISTER of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has urged On-Air Personalities (OAPs) to support the Federal Government in prosecuting the war against corruption, using their various platforms. The Minister made the appeal in Lagos at the weekend when he met with OAPs from radio and television stations, in continuation of his ongoing consultation with key stakeholders in the information and culture sector. READ MORE:

Botswana firm acquires FBN Microfinance Bank

Letshego Holdings Limited, a Botswana-based financial inclusion focused group with consumer, micro lending and deposit-taking subsidiaries across Southern and East Africa, has acquired a hundred per cent shareholding in FBN Microfinance Bank (FBN MFB). READ MORE:

Lagos confirms three Lassa fever cases, one death

LAGOS State government has confirmed three of the 14 suspected cases of Lassa fever and one death even as it is currently monitoring 438 people that had contacts with the confirmed cases. A statement jointly signed by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris and Special Adviser on Primary Health Care (PHC), Dr. Olufemi Onanuga, said the state government has reactivated isolation wards in Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) and 26 General Hospitals in the state for isolation of any suspected case.

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THE NATION NEWSPAPER

Alleged N22b fraud: EFCC charges Tompolo in Lagos

The Federal Government has filed fresh criminal charges against a former Niger Delta militant leader, Chief Government Oweize Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo), involving about N22,765,900,000. The new charge, filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Lagos, borders on stealing, advanced fee fraud and money laundering.

EFCC to quiz Badeh, others in batches

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has raised a team to interrogate a former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, and 17 others, including 11 senior military officers. The officers, who have been mentioned in connection with the alleged $2.1 billion arms deals, will be quizzed in batches, it was learnt at the weekend.

Current account holders to pay maintenance charges

Bank customers are to pay a maintenance fee on current account transactions, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) announced at the weekend. The new fee is a negotiable current account maintenance fee not exceeding N1 per mille (N1 per N1,000,000) may be charged in respect of all customer-induced debit transactions.

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Business Day

Customs generates N904bn for 2015 amid lowering imports, porous borders

Despite the drop in import volumes and heightening activities of smugglers across the country’s porous borders, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), generated N904 billion in 2015, a N40 billion shortfall from the N944 billion target for the year, figures obtained from the Service show.

Saudi Arabia says $30 oil is ‘irrational’

Saudi Arabia has described the collapse in oil prices to below $30 as “irrational” and expects the market to recover in 2016 even as the country continues to keep production high. Khalid al-Falih, chairman of state oil company Saudi Aramco, told the World Economic Forum in Davos that current prices could not last, with many smaller producers facing financial…

Schlumberger cuts 10,000 jobs amid oil price rout

Schlumberger’s customers are abruptly cancelling projects, the world’s largest oilfield services company warned on Thursday as its full-year results revealed further pain from an 18-month rout in crude that has found new momentum this year.